Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between media planners and account managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a media planner, becoming an account manager takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, an account manager has an average salary of $68,535, which is higher than the $58,044 average annual salary of a media planner.
The top three skills for a media planner include media planning, powerpoint and campaign performance. The most important skills for an account manager are customer service, account management, and healthcare.
| Media Planner | Account Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $58,044 | $68,535 |
| Hourly rate | $27.91 | $32.95 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 24,126 | 152,261 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 89% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
A media planner is responsible for managing market campaigns and promotions for clients' advertising needs through various social media platforms and other mediums of communications. Media planners handle the brand's media presence, strategizing its maximum appeal to the target audience. They coordinate closely with the clients for the progress updates, as well as informing them of any adjustments, especially on meeting the public's interests and concerns. A media planner develops innovative techniques, analyzes market data, and manage campaign results, ensuring to meet the clients' objectives and goals.
Account managers are employees who act as the bridge between the company they represent and the client of the company. They are assigned to handle specific clients so that the company will be able to tailor-fit any product or service according to the clients' requirements. Account managers are responsible for maintaining a harmonious relationship between the two parties by ensuring that any agreement made is amenable to both the company and the client. They are also responsible for ensuring that the company will be able to provide the needs of the client within any limitation that the client may have. Account managers also ensure that the company's reputation and well-being are always considered in any dealings.
Media planners and account managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Media Planner | Account Manager | |
| Average salary | $58,044 | $68,535 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $69,000 | Between $42,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | RPA | NVIDIA |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a media planner and an account manager in terms of educational background:
| Media Planner | Account Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 89% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Communication | Business |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between media planners' and account managers' demographics:
| Media Planner | Account Manager | |
| Average age | 42 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.2% Female, 60.8% | Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.3% Asian, 5.4% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 7% |