Advertising media buyer

Media buyers book advert space on newspapers, magazines, TV, radio and websites.

In this guide

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

You could:

  • work out who the audience is and where to put adverts so they'll see them
  • build relationships with clients and media sales companies
  • negotiate for the best advert spots at the cheapest rates
  • manage budgets and outline costs to clients
  • monitor campaign audience figures
  • analyse sales data, to judge a campaign's effectiveness

Working environment

You could work in an office or at a client's business.

You may need to wear smart business clothes.

Career path and progression

You can choose to specialise in buying radio, online or TV adverts.

With experience, you could eventually become a:

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of media production and communication
  • the ability to use your initiative
  • the ability to organise your time and workload
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Most relevant

  • Mathematics - Advertising media buyers work with budgets, costs, and rates every day, negotiating the best deals for advertising space. They also analyse audience figures and sales data using statistics to judge whether a campaign has been effective and offers good value for money.
  • Business - Advertising media buyers need strong commercial awareness to manage client budgets, negotiate rates with media companies, and understand how advertising fits into a company's wider marketing strategy. They build and maintain business relationships with both clients and media sales teams.
  • Media Studies - Advertising media buyers choose which platforms – TV, radio, print, online – will best reach a target audience. Media Studies builds their understanding of how audiences consume different formats and how scheduling, placement, and platform choice shape a campaign's impact.

Also relevant

  • Economics - Advertising media buyers work in a market where ad space is bought and sold, and prices fluctuate based on demand. Understanding supply and demand, market competition, and how consumer spending patterns shift helps them make smarter buying decisions.
  • English Language - Advertising media buyers communicate constantly – presenting campaign plans to clients, negotiating with media sales teams, and writing proposals that outline costs and strategy. Being able to communicate persuasively and clearly, both in writing and in person, is essential.
  • Psychology - Advertising media buyers need to understand audience behaviour – who watches, reads, or clicks on what, and why. Knowledge of how people make decisions and respond to different types of messaging helps them place adverts where they'll have the most impact.
  • Sociology - Advertising media buyers identify target audiences based on demographics like age, income, location, and lifestyle. Understanding how different social groups behave and consume media helps them match campaigns to the right platforms and audiences.

How to become

You can get into this job through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • specialist courses run by professional bodies

You could get into advertising with any degree subject.

However, for this role some employers may prefer subjects like:

  • advertising and marketing
  • statistics or operational research
  • communication and media studies
  • business or management

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

More Information

You could do an advertising apprenticeship like an assistant buyer higher apprenticeship or an advertising media executive advanced apprenticeship.

With experience these may give you some of the skills, knowledge and industry contacts you need to move into advertising media buying roles.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

More Information

You could start in a junior position like office assistant in a small advertising agency and work your way up through training and promotion.

You'll find it useful to get experience before you apply for roles. It will help you understand the industry and make contacts.

 You could try:

  • work experience
  • internships
  • temporary employment

You could get in touch with agencies directly to ask about placements, or contact companies through social media channels like LinkedIn.

You could study the Foundation Certificate offered by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.

To apply, you must have less than one year of experience in an advertising, marketing or communications role.

Career tips

Employers will usually be interested in your personal qualities, like creativity, quick thinking and business sense, as well as your formal qualifications.

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, for professional development, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about a career in advertising from the IPA and Discover Creative Careers.

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