Management
Advertising and promotions managers
Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, coupons, or giveaways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire organization, or on an account basis.
Median pay
$133,660
Growth to 2035
−4%
declining
Openings a year
2,300
Time to qualify*
2 years
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Advertising and promotions managers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- Less than 5 years
Calculate your switch to advertising and promotions managers
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Advertising and promotions managers: 80% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Plan and prepare advertising and promotional material to increase sales of products or services, working with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies.
- Inspect layouts and advertising copy, and edit scripts, audio, video, and other promotional material for adherence to specifications.
- Coordinate activities of departments, such as sales, graphic arts, media, finance, and research.
- Develop communications materials, advertisements, presentations, or public relations initiatives to promote awareness of products and services.
- Develop comprehensive marketing strategies, using knowledge of products and technologies, markets, and regulations.
- Direct, motivate, and monitor the mobilization of a campaign team to advance campaign goals.
- Prepare budgets and submit estimates for program costs as part of campaign plan development.
- Maintain portfolios of marketing campaigns, strategies, and other marketing products or ideas.
Also called: Account Executive · Ad Accounts Executive (Advertising Accounts Executive) · Ad Director (Advertising Director) · Ad Manager (Advertising Manager) · Ad Sales Director (Advertising Sales Director) · Ad Sales Manager (Advertising Sales Manager) · Classified Ad Manager (Classified Advertising Manager) · Creative Services Director
Outlook and AI
Advertising and promotions managers held 33,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 31,900 by 2035 (−4%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).
Productivity change - share decreases as managers increasingly utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to test, modify, and oversee ad campaigns, allowing fewer managers to oversee more staff.
Compare with
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Advertising sales agent
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Marketing manager
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Marketing specialist
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Public relations specialist
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Public relations manager
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Sales manager
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Fundraising manager
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Fundraiser
- Advertising and promotions managers vs. Business operations specialists, all other