Advertising and Promotions Managers
Also called Ad Manager (Advertising Manager), Ad Sales Manager (Advertising Sales Manager), Promotions Director, or Promotions Manager
Updated · Source: O*NET 31.0
What Advertising and Promotions Managers do
You decide how a product gets noticed, then lead the writers, designers, and media team who make that happen on a deadline.
Advertising and promotions managers plan the campaigns that get people interested in a product or service. That means ads, but also posters, coupons, contests, and giveaways. You figure out who you are trying to reach, what message will land, and how much it will all cost. Then you check the work: reading ad copy (the words that go in an ad), looking at layouts (how words and images are arranged on a page), watching rough versions of videos, and sending things back when they miss the mark.
Most of the job is coordinating people. You pull together sales, the graphic artists who design the visuals, the media team (the people who choose and buy where ads appear, such as websites, TV, or billboards), finance, and research. You also talk with clients or company leaders. Afterward you look at the numbers to see which tactics actually worked.
A day in the life
You work indoors at a desk, sitting for long stretches, with email running all day. Morning might be a meeting with the sales team about a product launch, then a call with a client who wants a change to the headline. You review a designer's work and mark what needs fixing. You draft a budget estimate for a campaign and defend the number. In the afternoon you pull last month's results to see which ads got attention and which were ignored. Deadlines push on everything, and a late approval from someone else becomes your problem. You spend real time alone thinking and writing, and real time face to face keeping a team pointed the same direction.
This could fit you if you…
- ✓Like taking charge of a project and keeping people moving
- ✓Enjoy both creative ideas and the spreadsheets behind them
- ✓Listen closely and read people well in meetings
- ✓Can give honest feedback on someone's work without wrecking the relationship
- ✓Stay calm when several deadlines land at once
You might not like it if you…
- –Want to be the one making the designs rather than directing them
- –Dislike sitting at a desk and handling email most of the day
- –Find it stressful when other people's delays make you late
- –Need a field that is clearly expanding, since employment is projected to change -3.7% from 2025 to 2035 while all jobs average +3.5%
How people get in
- 1Finish a bachelor's degree, often in marketing, advertising, public relations, or applied communication.
- 2Build writing and presenting skills along the way, since reading, speaking, and listening carry this job.
- 3Take an entry-level role in advertising sales, marketing, or public relations; employers usually look for less than five years of related experience before a manager role.
- 4Keep a portfolio of campaigns and ideas you worked on, including what results they got.
- 5Volunteer to coordinate across teams at work, so you can show you can run a budget and a group, not just do your own tasks.
- 6Apply for manager roles; openings average about 2,300 per year nationally, so expect competition and apply widely.
Who tends to enjoy it
Leading
People who like persuading, selling, starting things, and taking charge.
Organizing
People who like keeping things accurate, orderly, and running on schedule.
Creative
People who like making things, design, writing, music, and self-expression.
Official task list
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. (O*NET)
- 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.
A typical day involves
Skills that matter most
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
What you'll need to know
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
- Customer and Personal Service
How much Advertising and Promotions Managers make
The median pay for Advertising and Promotions Managers in the U.S. is $133,660 a year ($64.26 an hour). Most earn between $63,300 and $286,240. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025)
Pay depends a lot on where you live: the median is highest in New York ($173,700) and lowest in Alabama ($64,640).
Pay by state and territory
| State | Median pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,640 | 60 |
| Arkansas | $74,880 | 140 |
| California | $167,230 | 3,080 |
| Colorado | $164,990 | 180 |
| Connecticut | $129,280 | 240 |
| District of Columbia | $143,040 | 80 |
| Georgia | $133,810 | 420 |
| Idaho | $80,680 | 60 |
| Illinois | $167,330 | 160 |
| Indiana | $113,930 | 120 |
| Iowa | $108,890 | 210 |
| Kansas | $148,560 | 40 |
| Kentucky | $107,030 | 230 |
| Louisiana | $78,810 | 120 |
| Maine | $106,280 | — |
| Maryland | $107,380 | 460 |
| Massachusetts | $163,090 | 300 |
| Michigan | $101,610 | 220 |
| Minnesota | $126,920 | 110 |
| Mississippi | $66,520 | 100 |
| Missouri | $81,520 | — |
| Montana | $131,770 | — |
| Nebraska | $106,380 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $120,530 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $165,390 | 470 |
| New York | $173,700 | 3,550 |
| North Carolina | $121,730 | — |
| Ohio | $102,110 | 240 |
| Oregon | $154,490 | 430 |
| Pennsylvania | $122,940 | 1,540 |
| Puerto Rico | $68,620 | 180 |
| Rhode Island | $157,890 | 60 |
| South Carolina | $156,300 | — |
| Tennessee | $98,170 | — |
| Texas | $104,170 | 3,670 |
| Virginia | $148,400 | 180 |
| Washington | $163,380 | 530 |
| Wisconsin | $131,530 | 110 |
Where to study for this
College programs that commonly lead to this career, and how many US colleges offer each.
- Marketing 1,077 colleges
- Advertising 121 colleges
- Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 208 colleges
- Public Relations / Image Management 182 colleges
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Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), occupation 11-2011.00, used under CC BY 4.0 and modified by Whittle. Pay: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), SOC 11-2011. Outlook and entry education: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Program links: NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. How we build these pages.