Mid-Level

Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk)

The order processor — managing advertising orders, contracts, and customer inquiries.

Career Level
Junior
Mid
Senior
Director
VP
Executive
Work Personality
C
E
R
S
A
I
Conventionalorganizing, detail-oriented
Enterprisingleading, persuading
Based on Holland Code framework
Job markets for Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk)s
Employment concentration · ~215 areas
Based on employment in related occupations
Mapped SOC categories:
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics
What it's like

What it's like to be a Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk)

As an Advertising Clerk, you're handling the administrative side of advertising orders. This means processing orders, preparing contracts, answering customer inquiries, managing records, and ensuring advertising runs correctly according to customer requests.

Your day is order-focused. You might process incoming ad orders in the morning, prepare insertion orders, respond to customer questions about pricing and deadlines, and update records for billing. Expect steady clerical work with customer interaction, moderate deadline pressure around publication schedules.

The people who thrive here are detail-oriented and enjoy organized work. You need accuracy — advertising orders have to be right — and good communication for customer interaction. The role offers stability and a foundation for understanding the advertising business.

SupportModerate
IndependenceLower
Working ConditionsLower
RelationshipsLower
AchievementLower
RecognitionLower
O*NET Work Values survey
StrategyExecution
StructuredAdaptable
ManagingContributing
CollaborativeIndependent
Order complexityCustomer interaction levelSystem sophisticationMedia typeVolume
Advertising clerk roles vary by media and organization. Classified advertising has different workflows than display ads. Some roles have significant customer interaction; others are more back-office focused. The degree of system sophistication affects how much is automated vs manual.
✦ Editorial — written by Truest from industry research and career patterns
Career Paths

Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.

$239K$179K$119K$60K$0KLower paying387 metro areas, sorted by salary level
All experience levels1
This level's estimated range
INDUSTRIES PAYING ABOVE AVERAGE
1 BLS OEWS May 2024 covers all Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk)s (SOC 43-4151.00), not just this title · BEA RPP 2023
* Top salaries exceed this figure. BLS caps reported wages at ~$240K to protect individual privacy in high-earning roles.
Exploring the Advertising Clerk (Ad Clerk) career path? Truest helps you figure out if it's the right fit — and plan your path forward.
Explore career tools
1
Customer service
Building relationships with advertisers
2
Advertising knowledge
Understanding the business beyond order processing
3
System expertise
Mastering order and production systems
What does the order process look like?
How much customer interaction is involved?
What systems would I be working with?
What does the volume and pace look like?
What growth opportunities exist?
✦ Editorial — career progression and interview guidance based on industry patterns
The Broader Landscape

Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.

$34K–$62K
Salary Range
10th – 90th percentile
83K
U.S. Employment
-17.2%
10yr Growth
8K
Annual Openings

How this category is changing

$76K$72K$68K$65K$61K201920202021202220232024$61K$76K
BLS OEWS May 2024 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034

Skills & Requirements

Active ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionService OrientationWritingMonitoringCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingSocial PerceptivenessMathematics
O*NET OnLine · Bureau of Labor Statistics
43-4151.00

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Federal data: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) · BLS Employment Projections · O*NET OnLine
Truest editorial: Fit check, role profile, things that vary, advancement analysis, lateral moves, interview questions.