How to hire a media planner and buyer

How to hire a media planner and buyer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step media planner and buyer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a media planner and buyer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new media planner and buyer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a media planner and buyer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The media planner and buyer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a media planner and buyer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a media planner and buyer that fits the bill.

   This list presents media planner and buyer salaries for various positions.

   Type of Media Planner And Buyer	Description	Hourly rate
   Media Planner And Buyer	Buyers and purchasing agents buy products and services for organizations to use or resell. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate contracts, and review the quality of products.	$22-40
   Landman	Landmen are referred to as the public-facing side of a gas, mineral, and oil exploration and production team. They are professionals who interact and negotiate directly with landowners for the acquisition of gas and oil drilling leases... Show more	$25-61
   Subcontract Administrator	As a subcontract administrator, you will be responsible for identifying the needs of a company and implement measures and initiatives to fulfill those needs. This role will require you to perform a few tasks, including responding to purchase requisitions, soliciting bids and proposals from new and existing sources, and evaluating terms and awarding the subcontract... Show more	$20-49

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Campaign Performance
   • Media Planning
   • Target Audience
   • Out-of-Home
   • Media Research
   • Media Buying
   • Media Sales
   • Nielsen
   • Strata
   • ROI
   • Market Research
   • POVs
   • Broadcast TV
   • KPIs

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Project manage and lead phases of advertising campaigns from planning, to buying through ROI analysis.
   • Manage approved media budgets for assign markets and negotiating rates in accordance with desire CPP or CPM, reach and frequency.
   • Manage multiple million dollar budgets, budget analysis and reconciliations.
   • Experience in buying Online CPM, CPC and CPA DR.
   • Recommend and implement SEO on relevant landing pages.
   • Prepare qualitative research analysis utilizing MMR, MRI, J.D Power and Scarborough.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your media planner and buyer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A media planner and buyer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, media planner and buyers' average salary in north dakota is 33% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level media planner and buyers 46% less than senior-level media planner and buyers.
   • Certifications. A media planner and buyer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a media planner and buyer's salary.

   Average media planner and buyer salary

   $63,155yearly

   $30.36 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level media planner and buyer salary

   $46,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 1, 2026

4. Writing a media planner and buyer job description

   A good media planner and buyer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a media planner and buyer job description:

   Media planner and buyer job description example

   The Senior Media Planner/Buyer position is responsible for developing innovative and results driven media plans across all media, emerging media and platforms. This includes but is not limited to traditional media (broadcast, outdoor, print) and digital media (display, video, paid social).The Senior Media Planner/Buyer is accountable for the development and execution of the media plans, projects and reporting. The Senior Media Planner/Buyer will work across teams within the Consumer Advertising department including programmatic, creative, hotel strategy and billing. This position will also be responsible for negotiating, buying and the implementation of media campaigns with key vendors.
   KEY JOB FUNCTIONS :
   
   Actively leads the strategy of media planning and buying across traditional and digital media channels Leads media strategy by researching and presenting strategy of effectiveness on spend Develops media presentations for campaign recommendations Oversees creative grids process and communication for all mediums to establish deadlines and specs with internal media team and key stakeholders to ensure launch times are met Oversees campaign implementation, creative rotation and URL updates for tracking tags Manage creative trafficking for all mediums to ensure on-time start of media activations, ensuring digital assets are trafficked correct to be able to track revenue Pulling and compiling campaign reporting on media analysis and makes recommendations on campaign optimizations, including: cutting or increasing spend, shift of strategy or adjustment of vendors for specific tactics to internal media managers Meets with media representatives and accesses media database to research available options for media placement Independently evaluates multi-channel proposals and works with management on securing partners on media plans and follows protocol in buying guidelines Works as an intermediary between Strategy and Activation teams in communicating day to day request Maintains all media buys and is responsible for opening estimates, loading avails, issuing insertion orders to manager for approval Actively leads the media planning strategies and buying across all channels Monitors buys in progress by spot checking placement and negotiating credit or billing adjustments when necessary Prepares project plans that aid in moving project forward Tracks media expenditures to ensure budget compliance Collaborates with media team members to resolve media billing issues Develops skills to handle increasingly complex matters. Complies with and upholds company expectations including Code of Commitment, policies, procedures, industry regulations, department goals and business strategy Qualifications:
   
   EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
   
   College degree in marketing or related field required. Minimum 1-3 years prior experience in digital and traditional media required.
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   Must demonstrate effective writing and editorial skills. Ability to handle multiples projects and deadlines. Must possess strong communication skills and teamwork skills. Ability to work independently and proactively utilizing data to drive results Ability to uphold and demonstrate the highest level of integrity in all situations and recognize standards required by a regulated business
   
   Caesars Entertainment will engage in an interactive process and make reasonable accommodations, as required by law, for individuals with disabilities or to accommodate pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, or where a conflict exists between the position and an individuals' religious beliefs or practices.
   
   The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the position.
   
   The Company reserves the right to make changes to the job description whenever necessary.
   
   As a part of the new hire process, finalist candidates may required to complete a background check prior to an offer being extended, except where applicable law requires that such pre-employment screening occur post-offer. The Company is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against employees or applicants based on race, color, national origin, sex, age over 40, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
   
   The Senior Media Planner/Buyer position is responsible for developing innovative and results driven media plans across all media, emerging media and platforms. This includes but is not limited to traditional media (broadcast, outdoor, print) and digital media (display, video, paid social).The Senior Media Planner/Buyer is accountable for the development and execution of the media plans, projects and reporting. The Senior Media Planner/Buyer will work across teams within the Consumer Advertising department including programmatic, creative, hotel strategy and billing. This position will also be responsible for negotiating, buying and the implementation of media campaigns with key vendors.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find media planner and buyers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your media planner and buyer job on Zippia to find and recruit media planner and buyer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit media planner and buyers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new media planner and buyer

   Once you have selected a candidate for the media planner and buyer position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new media planner and buyer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a media planner and buyer?