How Much Does a Media Planner Make in 2025?
A media planner is responsible for maximizing the impact of advertising campaigns and coordinating the development and execution of media strategy and advertising plans, which support the overall marketing tactics, message, and objectives of clients.
Media planners also use analytics to design innovative strategies and research on new ones, negotiate media pricing and scheduling, and collaborate with stakeholders and vendors to control pacing, timeline for campaigns, and budget management.
Below is an overview of the pay for media planners, including salary ranges, averages, and factors that affect their pay.
What is the Average Media Planner Salary?
As of March 1, 2025, the average salary of media planners in the United States is $62,090 per year and $30 per hour, with rates ranging from $23 to $38.
2025 Media Planner Average Salary: $62,090 per year ($30 per hour)
Meanwhile, the average weekly and monthly salaries for media planners are $1,194 and $5,174, respectively.
What is the Pay Range for a Media Planner?
According to Salary.com report, the salary range for media planners starts at $48,717 and can reach as high as $78,520 per year, with most earning between $55,090 and $70,690. The salary range is affected by factors like education, level of experience, and geographic location.
Media Planner Salary Range: $48,717 to $78,520 per year ($23 to $38 per hour)
| Percentile | By Hour | By Week | By Month | By Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile | $23 | $937 | $4,060 | $48,717 |
| 25th Percentile | $26 | $1,059 | $4,591 | $55,090 |
| 50th Percentile (Median) | $30 | $1,194 | $5,174 | $62,090 |
| 75th Percentile | $34 | $1,359 | $5,891 | $70,690 |
| 90th Percentile | $38 | $1,510 | $6,543 | $78,520 |
Media Planner Salary Factors
Experience level, place of work, and skills are important factors that can affect the pay for media planners. Here are the detailed effects of these factors:
Years of Experience
The pay of media planners increases as the experience level advances. An entry-level media planner earns $59,297. A senior media planner gets paid $61,820, while an expert level with over 8 years of experience gets paid $62,417 on average.
| Levels | Years of Experience | Average Salary per Year |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level Media Planner | <1 | $59,297 |
| Intermediate Level Media Planner | 1-2 | $60,029 |
| Senior Level Media Planner | 2-4 | $61,820 |
| Specialist Level Media Planner | 5-8 | $62,178 |
| Expert Level Media Planner | 8+ | $62,417 |
Place of Work
According to BLS, media and communication workers like media planners working in the motion picture and video industries earn up to 76% more than those working in colleges, universities, and professional schools in 2023.
| Place of Work | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | $114,110 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $106,490 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | $83,620 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations | $75,840 |
| Performing Art Companies | $75,350 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $64,850 |
Skill Set
Media planners with more acquired skills get higher pay. Data from Salary.com's Real-time Job Posting Salary Data Report suggests that marketing strategy skills can give the highest pay increase of 9.07%, followed by presentation software skills with 6.19%.
Some important skills with higher salary increase also include public relations, advertising, billing, and search engine optimization (SEO).
| Skill | Demand | Salary Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Marketing Strategy | 6.31% | +9.07% |
| Presentation Software | 6.08% | +6.19% |
| Public Relations | 5.58% | +5.87% |
| Advertising | 80.00% | +5.79% |
| Billing | 6.08% | +3.66% |
| Search Engine Optimization (SEO) | 5.68% | +3.38% |
Media Planner Salary by City and State
The salary of media planners varies in individual cities and states of the US. This is because geographic location affects pay through local economy, cost of living, and industry presence.
Highest Paying States for Media Planner
Based on Salary.com’s salary data, the District of Columbia offers the highest average pay for media planners in the United States, at $69,090 per year.
- District of Columbia: $69,090 (or $33 per hour)
- California: $68,490 (or $33 per hour)
- New Jersey: $67,990 (or $33 per hour)
- Alaska: $67,590 (or $32 per hour)
- Massachusetts: $67,490 (or $32 per hour)
Media Planner Salary by State
| State | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $67,590 |
| Alabama | $57,090 |
| Arkansas | $56,590 |
| Arizona | $60,490 |
| California | $68,490 |
| Colorado | $63,290 |
| Connecticut | $66,690 |
| District of Columbia | $69,090 |
| Delaware | $62,990 |
| Florida | $58,990 |
| Georgia | $59,990 |
| Hawaii | $64,890 |
| Iowa | $59,390 |
| Idaho | $57,890 |
| Illinois | $63,490 |
| Indiana | $60,190 |
| Kansas | $59,090 |
| Kentucky | $58,390 |
| Louisiana | $58,990 |
| Massachusetts | $67,490 |
| Maryland | $63,990 |
| Maine | $60,390 |
| Michigan | $61,290 |
| Minnesota | $63,490 |
| Missouri | $59,190 |
| Mississippi | $55,390 |
| Montana | $57,990 |
| North Carolina | $59,590 |
| North Dakota | $61,490 |
| Nebraska | $58,490 |
| New Hampshire | $63,090 |
| New Jersey | $67,990 |
| New Mexico | $57,190 |
| Nevada | $62,290 |
| New York | $66,190 |
| Washington | $66,890 |
Highest Paying Cities for Media Planner
Salary.com also reported that the city of San Jose, California is the highest-paying city for media planners with $77,890 per year or $37 per hour.
- San Jose, California: $77,890 (or $37 per hour)
- San Francisco, California: $77,590 (or $37 per hour)
- Oakland, California: $75,690 (or $36 per hour)
- New York, New York: $72,490 (or $35 per hour)
- Queens Village, New York: $71,990 (or $35 per hour)
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Media Planner
Media planners can increase their salaries in various ways. These include gaining a higher level of education, mastering vital skills, and continuously learning about their industry. Here is a rundown of significant ways a media planner can raise their pay:
- Aiming for higher education. Although media planners usually have bachelor’s degrees in advertising, marketing, or communications, having a master’s degree in communication management can lead to career advancement and salary increase.
- Enhancing more skills. Some important skills that will help increase a media planner’s salary are marketing strategy, presentation software, and public relations. Meanwhile, their most in-demand skill is advertising.
- Learning more about trends and technology. Media planners can use cutting-edge software and technologies to understand analytics and identify target audiences. They must also be updated on the latest trends to perform well in advertising and campaigns.
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Searching for high-paying industries. For media and communication workers, which includes media planners, these are some of the highest paying workplaces:
a. Software publishers
b. Motion picture and video industries
c. Insurance carriers
d. Computer systems design and related services
e. Scientific research and development services
Average National Salaries by Source
As of March 3, 2025, the following are the reported salaries for media planners from five top salary-reporting sites, averaging $70,729.60 (unweighted) across these sources.
SALARY.COM AVG. SALARY
$62,090/year
TALENT.COM AVG. SALARY
$69,721/year
GLASSDOOR AVG. SALARY
$77,273/year
COMPARABLY AVG. SALARY
$69,419/year
ZIPRECRUITER AVG. SALARY
$75,145/year
