Careers in Television Commercials
Learn what types of career options are available in the television commercial industry. Continue reading to find out more about specific job duties, employment outlook and salary ranges.
What Are Career Options in the Television Commercial Industry?
If you're pursuing a career in the television commercial industry, your choices include managing the advertising, promotions, and marketing department of an advertising agency, as well as directing television ads. As an advertising, promotions and marketing manager, you will get an opportunity to work with financial advisors, art directors, and staff to determine budget and direction for an advertisement. Producers and directors, on the other hand, help cast, create, and film commercials to sell products.
For more information about education requirements, salary, and job growth, review the chart below.
<table border="1"><tr><th> </th><th>Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers</th><th> Producers and Directors</th></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Degree Required</b></td><td>Bachelor's degree </td><td> Bachelor's degree</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td>Advertising, promotions, marketing management </td><td> Film, writing, journalism, communications</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Key Responsibilities</b></td><td>Discuss budgets and contracts with department staff, plan advertising and promotions, create advertising contracts, meet with clients and analyze sales </td><td> Oversee the production and post-production process, search for and choose cast members, choose scripts, approve budgets</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td>10%* </td><td> 24%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <b>Median Annual Wage (2020)</b></td><td>$141,490* </td><td> $76,400*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatTypesOfCareersAreThereInTelevisionCommercials">What Types of Careers Are There In Television Commercials?</h3><p>Although there are a number of important jobs in the television commercial business - from actors to key grips to audio engineers - two of the most important positions are advertising manager and television producer. Typically, a company will hire an advertising agency or expect an in-house advertising department to create product marketing plans; advertising managers are often team leaders in these advertising agencies and departments. Once an ad campaign is decided upon, a television commercial may be written, cast, filmed and edited; a television producer could be in charge of coordinating all of these steps.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoesAnAdvertisingManagerDo">What Does An Advertising Manager Do?</h3><p>An advertising manager is the person in charge of an advertising campaign or project. Your duties as an advertising manager may include supervising creative teams, acting as a liaison between advertising agencies and clients or putting marketing campaigns into motion. If you become an advertising manager, you might work for an advertising agency or a public relations firm. You could also work as an in-house employee for a company that produces its own television commercials.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatDoesATelevisionAdvertisingProducerDo">What Does A Television Advertising Producer Do?</h3><p>A television advertising producer can have a variety of duties; he or she may consult with the director of a commercial or secure and manage a budget. Television advertising production is primarily an entrepreneurial, business-oriented position that requires financial planning and decision-making skills. In some cases, you'll also be responsible for interpreting the script of a commercial and steering the project in the appropriate creative direction.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatIsTheJobMarketLike">What Is the Job Market Like?</h3><p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of jobs available for advertising, promotions and marketing managers was expected to increase 10% from 2020-2030 (<i>www.bls.gov </i>). In May 2020, the BLS stated that the median annual wage for advertising and promotions managers was $133,460. During this time, the lowest ten percent of these professionals earned $68,940 annually; the upper 10% earned $208,000 per year.
</p><p>The BLS also projected that the number of positions for producers and directors would increase by 24% between 2020 and 2030. The median annual wage for producers and directors in May 2020 was $76,400; the lowest ten percent of these professionals earned $36,070 annually and the 90% percentile earned $184,660, as reported by the BLS. In 2020, <i>PayScale.com</i> stated that advertising broadcast producers made a median salary of $75,912.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Alternative Careers?</h3><p>If you wish to explore similar professions in the television commercial industry, consider being an actor or a public relations specialist. Actors sometimes participate in advertising campaigns, especially television commercials, to effectively promote products and services. Public relations specialists, on the other hand, create and maintain a good image for a person or an entity. While being a public relations specialist requires at least a bachelor's degree, being an actor has no formal educational requirement although it entails long-term training.</p>