Media planners typically work for advertising and marketing agencies, identifying the best media options for assigned clients. The media planner recommends a suitable mix of media and frequency of advertising for optimum results while staying within budget. Some large corporations employ their own media planners to handle the advertising planning on an in-house basis. Media planner salaries generally are highest in the largest cities.
Salary Range
The median annual salary for media planners is $48,776 as of February 2011, according to Salary.com. The middle 50 percent of the salary range have annual pay rates of $43,062 to $56,497. The top 10 percent earn at least $63,526 per year, and only the bottom 10 percent have salaries of $37,860 and below.
Comparisons
Big cities tend to have much higher median salaries for media planners than smaller cities in the same state. Media planners in Eureka, California, for instance, have a median annual salary of $41,338, while those in Los Angeles earn a median salary of nearly $13,000 higher, at $54,318 per year. The cost of living in Los Angeles, however, is much higher. A similar situation occurs in New York state, where media planners in Jamestown make $46,045 per year as a median annual income, and those in New York City earn $57,653. The median yearly salary for media planners in Amarillo, Texas, is $43,552; in Green Bay, Wisconsin, $47,996; in Baltimore, Maryland, $52,165; in Chicago, Illinois, $52,601; and in Seattle, Washington, $54,263.
Job Openings
The job search website Indeed.com listed over 500 media planner job openings throughout the country in March 2011. Posted salaries have a very wide range, from $30,000 to $75,000 per year. An employer looking for a junior media planner offers pay of $30,000 to $40,000 per year depending on experience. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website comments that this type of job is a good entry-level position for an aspiring media planner.
Qualifications
The Indeed.com job listings show that employers typically require media planners to have a bachelor's degree in advertising, marketing or another relevant major. Many companies require several years of media planning or buying experience, along with proficiency in different software packages and online research tools.
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