Set a campaign's ad budget
Weigh what the ads would cost against available funds, then decide with media coworkers where they run.
Career profile
Advertising and Promotions Manager
Advertising and promotions managers oversee staff, budgets and decisions for ads and buying incentives.
Which campaign goes live is partly your call, and so is what to change if shoppers don't respond.
A day in the life
Send an ad back for fixes
Compare the headline and layout with what the campaign needs, then tell the designer what to fix.
Pair an ad with a deal
In promotions-focused roles, you tie ads to a discount, rebate or loyalty reward shoppers can use.
Rethink an underperforming campaign
Review spend and response reports, and if results miss target, talk through changing messaging or placements.
Quick facts
Degree + related experience
United States · 2025
$133,660 median
United States · May 2025
3.7% projected decline
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Degree + related experienceA bachelor's degree and experience in a related occupation are typical preparation.
Pay
$133,660 medianAnnual wages for advertising and promotions managers; equivalent to $64.26 an hour.
Outlook
3.7% projected declineAbout 2,300 openings a year are projected despite declining employment.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy explaining why one idea serves an audience better.
- You can give specific feedback without taking over someone's work.
- You want to check results after the creative work is finished.
Things to weigh
- Deadlines can be stressful, and some managers work more than 40 hours a week.
Where AI may help
Artificial intelligence (AI) can draft ad text and images. For example, eligible Google Performance Max advertisers can generate options from their website.
What people still lead
You still need to review generated material for accuracy, misleading claims, and suitability before publishing.
What we can’t predict yet
Faster ad production may reduce staffing needs. How much campaign creation and testing employers will hand to software remains unsettled.
Pay in context
Earnings
These figures cover U.S. advertising and promotions managers across the occupation, not starting salaries.
The middle and the spread
The median was $133,660 a year, equivalent to $64.26 an hour. The 10th and 90th percentiles were $63,300 and $286,240. Those are wage positions, not beginner and senior pay grades.
Industry changes the picture
Annual medians were $217,430 in wholesale trade and $133,550 in advertising, public relations, and related services.
Openings within a shrinking occupation
Employment is projected to fall 3.7%, with about 2,300 openings annually on average. Openings include replacement needs; they are not all newly created jobs.
Getting started
Build the education foundation
- What the route involves
- Earn a bachelor's degree in business, communications, or a related field.
- What it can lead to
- Meet the typical education level for management roles; related experience is usually needed too.
Build experience in related work
- What the route involves
- Work in advertising, promotions, marketing, or sales before pursuing management.
- What it can lead to
- Develop the experience employers typically seek alongside a degree.
Education and related work usually combine on the way into management.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn how your team moves ads from draft to delivery. Keep people and deadlines coordinated.
Develop judgment
Use campaign results to explain where the next round of spending should go.
Specialize
Aim toward media direction, choosing how campaigns reach customers across advertising channels.
Where you can work
Advertising agency
Client conversations shape the work. You connect the client's goals with the people developing and placing ads.
- Office
An organization's advertising team
You focus on your employer's products or services, working with sales colleagues and finance staff on campaigns and costs.
- Office
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Plan a pretend campaign for a school event on one page. Choose an audience, divide a fictional $100 between two advertising options, and sketch one ad. Decide what result would make you move the money. Notice whether you enjoy defending the spending decision as much as making the ad.
Stay safe: Keep it on paper; no purchases or publishing are needed.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Advertising and Promotions Managers — 11-2011.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Advertising and Promotions Managers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Google. How to build a Performance Max asset group using generative AI. Accessed 2026-10-03.