Exposed • Lead or Specialist

Advertising Manager.

Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, contests, coupons, or give-aways, to create extra interest in the purchase of a product or service for a department, an entire organization, or on an account basis.

Salary$126,960per year
Openings2,100per year
Growth-2%10 year

Example job titles

Account ExecutiveAdvertising ManagerAdvertising Sales ManagerClassified Advertising ManagerCommunications DirectorCommunications ManagerCreative Services DirectorMarketing and Promotions ManagerPromotions DirectorPromotions ManagerCampaign ManagerGrowth Marketing ManagerDemand Generation Manager

Why This Rating.

[01]

This role is exposed

AI tools can now generate ad copy, design drafts, and campaign analytics quickly, which means fewer people are needed to manage the routine production side of this work. What still requires a human is the political and interpersonal navigation involved, like managing relationships across clients, executives, and creative teams, reading the room, and making judgment calls when campaigns hit unexpected territory. The declining outlook is mostly driven by industry consolidation and companies folding these roles into broader marketing positions rather than keeping them standalone.

Risks & Opportunities.

[02]
[01] Risks
-2%

BLS projected employment decline for advertising managers through 2033[1]

Campaign trafficking, media buying coordination, and performance monitoring — the execution layer of advertising management — are being absorbed by AI-powered programmatic platforms, eliminating the manual coordination that justified mid-level manager roles. eMarketer reports that AI is actively reshaping how programmatic ad platforms operate, automating the optimization and trafficking work that traditionally required dedicated advertising managers [eMarketer, 2025]. BLS projects a -2% decline in advertising and promotions manager employment through 2033 — one of the few white-collar management occupations with a net projected loss — driven by platform consolidation and AI absorbing the media-buying workflow [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2024].

[02] Opportunities
62.7%

of marketers say human-centered content is needed to compete with AI[2]

As AI floods marketing channels with templated content, audience demand for strategically differentiated, human-directed campaigns is rising — creating a durable premium for managers who can set creative direction and brand voice rather than execute production tasks. HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing survey of 1,500+ global marketers found that 62.7% believe the industry needs more unique, human-centered content to compete with AI-generated material [HubSpot, 2026]. Advertising and promotions managers who redirect their time from trafficking and media-buying coordination toward brand strategy, cross-channel narrative coherence, and AI-output oversight are best positioned to capture this demand shift.

Observed AI Impact.

[03]

AI is starting to automate these

Share of AI conversations where this task is handled solo, with little human involvement.

Analyze Promotion Cost Effectiveness
Monitor and analyze sales promotion results to determine cost effectiveness of promotion campaigns.
63.8% automated
Med usage
Research consumer buying habits
Conduct research on consumer opinions and buying habits, and identify target audiences for products, services, or technologies.
50.6% automated
Med usage

AI assists but needs guidance

Share of AI conversations where this task is handled collaboratively, with a human steering.

Plan/prepare ad materials
Plan and prepare advertising and promotional material to increase sales of products or services, working with customers, company officials, sales departments, and advertising agencies.
71.9% augmented
High usage
Develop promotional materials
Develop communications materials, advertisements, presentations, or public relations initiatives to promote awareness of products and services.
68.3% augmented
High usage

AI hasn't figured these out

Low or no AI usage recorded for these tasks.

Confer on contracts/media
Confer with department heads or staff to discuss topics such as contracts, selection of advertising media, or product to be advertised.
No data
Coordinate department activities
Coordinate activities of departments, such as sales, graphic arts, media, finance, and research.
No data
Inspect layouts and copy
Inspect layouts and advertising copy, and edit scripts, audio, video, and other promotional material for adherence to specifications.
No data
Manage sales team
Manage sales team, including setting goals, providing incentives, and evaluating employee performance.
No data
Direct campaign team
Direct, motivate, and monitor the mobilization of a campaign team to advance campaign goals.
No data
Plan advertising policies
Plan and execute advertising policies and strategies for organizations.
No data

Data: Anthropic Economic Index (Jun 2026) · Real-world Claude usage patterns across occupations

How to Adapt.

[04]
[01] Already in this role?

Build fluency in AI-assisted campaign tools now so the work you oversee is produced faster and at lower cost — this matters because budget pressure is ongoing in this sector. Over six months, shift your value proposition toward the parts of the role that AI handles worst: client strategy, cross-functional coordination, and the judgment calls about creative direction that require context no tool has [Kantar, Sep 2024]. Managers who can operate with leaner teams by using AI effectively are more valuable than those who manage large teams producing output that AI could generate [eMarketer, Apr 2024].

“The advertising managers who are navigating this environment well are those who have redefined their value around strategy and client relationships, while using AI tools to dramatically reduce the cost and time of production work their teams previously spent most of their time on.”

Future of Jobs Report 2025, World Economic Forum

“Marketing and advertising is one of the functions where generative AI creates the most economic value — which means the practitioners who adapt are those who shift from managing content production to managing AI-assisted systems and directing strategic decisions.”

The economic potential of generative AI, McKinsey Global Institute

[02] Thinking of entering?

With only 2,100 annual job openings and negative projected growth, this is a competitive field to enter. Build a portfolio that demonstrates measurable campaign outcomes — not just campaign management experience — since employers are increasingly focused on ROI rather than headcount [HubSpot, Mar 2024]. A path through digital marketing or content strategy roles provides a stronger foundation than traditional advertising agency work, which is facing the steeper structural decline [eMarketer, Apr 2024].

“Programmatic platforms now manage 91% of U.S. digital display ad spending automatically, but the remaining strategic decisions about brand positioning, creative direction, and cross-channel budget allocation are where advertising managers justify their roles.”

US Programmatic Digital Display Ad Spending 2024, eMarketer

“The advertising managers most in demand combine creative judgment with data literacy — they can evaluate both the AI-generated campaign variants and the brand implications of running them.”

State of Marketing 2024, HubSpot

The Career Map.

[05]

The full BLS career track, plus relevant emerging AI-native paths. Click any role to see how to transition to it.

Entry

Marketing Specialist

13-1161.00

Exposed

Advertising Sales Agent

41-3011.00

Risky
Mid-Level

Search Marketing Strategist

13-1161.01

Solid
Senior

Public Relations Specialist

27-3031.00

Solid

Copywriter

27-3043.00

Strong

Editor

27-3041.00

Solid
Lead or Specialist

Advertising Manager

★ This Role

AI Campaign Strategist

✦ Emerging

Programmatic Advertising Specialist

✦ Emerging

Principal

Marketing Manager

11-2021.00

Solid

Marketing Technology Strategist

✦ Emerging

Creative AI Producer

✦ Emerging