Advertising Account Executives

The growth of the advertising industry depends on the health of the economy. In a thriving economy, advertising budgets are large, consumers tend to respond to advertising campaigns, and new products and services that require promotion are increasingly developed.

The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment for advertising account executives will decline by 7 percent through 2032. There will continue to be opportunities for advertising account executives due to market and opportunities in new advertising mediums as new media and social media platforms emerge. Advertisers are creating specialized advertising and marketing campaigns to reach this growing demographic.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts that through 2032, "Newspapers and magazines are expected to continue to experience circulation declines. With fewer consumers viewing advertisements in print media, fewer advertising sales agents are expected to be needed. Advertising will continue to grow in digital media, including online video ads, search engine ads, and other digital ads intended for cell phones or tablet-style computers." Employment in the latter branches of the industry is likely to be hampered by automation of digital ad placement and ad blockers that make it harder to reach digital users.

Most opportunities for advertising account executives will be in larger cities, such as Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, that enjoy a high concentration of business, as well as prestige. Competition for these jobs, however, will be intense. The successful candidate will be a college graduate with a lot of creativity, strong communication skills, and extensive experience in the advertising industry. Those able to speak another language will have an edge because of the increasing supply of products and services offered in foreign markets.