Account executives are paid to market advertising to businesses.
Commercial account executives are advertising sales representatives who sell advertisements to businesses on behalf of television and radio stations, newspapers, magazines and other places business advertise, such as websites. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 145,000 advertising account executives employed throughout the United States in 2010. Salaries for these account executives depends upon various factors such as the account executive's employer, location and the type of advertising sold.
Pay Scale
Advertising account executives earned an average salary of $55,020 per year, as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that account executives typically earned salaries ranging from $22,780 to $96,040 per year. Those in the lower 10 percent of the pay scale made less than the former figure, while those in the upper 10 percent of the pay scale made more than $96,040. Those in the middle 50 percent of the pay scale earned salaries ranging from $31,350 to $68,040, with a reported median salary of $45,350.
Employers
The type of advertising the account executive does plays a role in determining how much he is paid. For instance, the BLS indicates that those working in the newspaper industry made an average salary of $46,660 per year in 2010. Those working specifically for advertising agencies made $61,690, while those working in the radio and television advertising field made $53,970. The highest-paid commercial account executives made $68,640, working in the broad field of "other information services."
Location
Where the advertising account executive works also plays a role in determining how much he is paid. For instance, the Bureau of Labor Statistics points out that the highest-paid account executives worked in Connecticut, Arizona, New York, Illinois and Maryland, making average salaries in excess of $64,500 per year. Those employed in California made $61,800, while those working in Florida brought home an average salary of $46,680.
Job Outlook
The job outlook for account executives appears to be positive, based on the projections made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates slow but steady job growth in this field. The number of jobs is expected to grow by 7 percent during this time frame. Many of the opportunities will be found in website advertising, cable and other forms of media besides print advertising. Print advertising is expected to decline significantly and offset some of the new job growth in other industries within this field.
Tags: account executives, Bureau Labor, Bureau Labor Statistics, Labor Statistics, advertising account