Advertising Sales Agents vs First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers: $65K vs $49K Median Pay

Advertising Sales Agents vs First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers: what changes?

Consider Advertising Sales Agents if you want to sell or solicit advertising space, time, or media in publications, signage, TV, radio, or Internet establishments or public spaces. Consider First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers if you would rather directly supervise and coordinate activities of retail sales workers in an establishment or department. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Advertising Sales Agents and First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Advertising Sales Agents

National median pay (2025): $64,820
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Prepare and deliver sales presentations to new and existing customers to sell new advertising programs and to protect and increase existing advertising.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 7,800

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 7.2% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Advertising Sales Agents brief

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

National median pay (2025): $48,520
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Provide customer service by greeting and assisting customers and responding to customer inquiries and complaints.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 113,500

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers brief

How the national numbers differ

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is at 113,500 annual openings, compared with 7,800 annual openings for Advertising Sales Agents.

Advertising Sales Agents has the edge on median pay

Advertising Sales Agents is at $64,820, compared with $48,520 for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers.

Typical preparation differs.

Advertising Sales Agents: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers has the edge on projected growth

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers is at -3.7% projected growth, compared with -7.2% projected growth for Advertising Sales Agents.

41.3/ 100

Advertising Sales Agents

52.8/ 100

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Advertising Sales Agents vs First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

Dimension	Advertising Sales Agents	First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
Median pay (2025)	$64,820	$48,520
Pay percentile	56.4 percentile	28.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-7.2%	-3.7%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	7,800	113,500
2025 employment	99,300	1,419,800
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Advertising Sales Agents brief Read First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers brief

Advertising Sales Agents vs First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Advertising Sales Agents

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

How the national numbers differ

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers has the edge on annual openings

Advertising Sales Agents has the edge on median pay

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers has the edge on projected growth

Advertising Sales Agents vs First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

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