Time Broker
The media buyer — purchasing advertising time on broadcast and digital platforms for agencies and advertisers.
What it's like to be a Time Broker
As a Time Broker, you purchase advertising time from broadcasters and sell it to advertisers or agencies. You might work independently, buying time in bulk and reselling it, or work within an agency buying time for clients. Your value is getting better rates, premium inventory, or more efficient placements than advertisers could get directly.
Your day involves negotiation on both sides. You might negotiate rates with radio stations for bulk time purchases, present media plans to agency clients, coordinate campaign scheduling across multiple markets, and track performance and reconciliation. You need to understand media markets, audience metrics, and advertiser objectives.
The hardest part is margin pressure. You make money on the spread between what you pay for time and what you sell it for, but this margin is under constant pressure. The people who thrive here are skilled negotiators who understand media markets deeply, maintain strong relationships on both sides, and can identify value that others miss.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
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.
How this category is changing
Skills & Requirements
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