Media buyer

As a media buyer, you are an advertising professional, with knowledge across a range of media including television, print, social media, and film. You buy space for adverts in whichever medium appeals most to your audience, negotiating ad placement, timeslots, and the best price available.

Roles tend to be based in advertising and media agencies and you'll usually work with more than one client account at a time. Media buyers work closely with media planners, who create placement strategies ready for a buyer to purchase the space. However, in smaller agencies, these roles may be combined.

Types of media buyer

You may work across different media channels or specialise in a particular one such as:

• television
• radio
• cinema
• press
• digital
• out-of-home.

What does a media buyer do?

As a media buyer, you'll need to:

• identify the target audience for a particular media campaign and decide how best to communicate with that audience
• negotiate with media sales companies and media owners to obtain the best rates, frequency and most appropriate media spaces in online, broadcast and print advertising
• work with the media planning team to ensure that campaigns are workable
• book individual advertising spots, such as social media feeds, posters, internet banners and broadcast adverts
• ensure that the adverts run accurately so that the desired media message is seen and heard by consumers
• manage budgets across campaigns, including preparing costings for clients and producing spending updates throughout the campaign
• collect and analyse sales and consumer data
• keep up to date with industry research figures, including distribution figures for newspapers and magazines, online traffic to websites and audience figures for television and radio
• communicate with media sales staff to adjust media schedules in response to audience figures
• develop, implement and monitor strategic media buying plans to reach target audiences and objectives
• attend meetings with clients in order to report on campaign strategies and results
• build strong relationships with clients, media sales companies and media owners
• undertake research on industry developments in your area, new channels and platforms and competitors' activity
• analyse the effectiveness of the campaign and return on investment (ROI) and use this data to inform future campaigns.

How much does a media buyer make?

• Junior media buyers have an average salary of around £26,500.
• Average salaries for media buyers are around £32,000, rising to over £48,000 for senior media buyers.
• The average salary for media buyer directors is around £90,000, while heads of media buying/investment can earn up to £184,000.

Salaries can vary greatly depending on the size and type of employer and location. It may be possible to increase earnings by moving between agencies or going into sales. The highest average salaries are found in the larger agencies, often located in London.

The salary you receive will also depend on your skills and experience, as well as your track record and ability to run successful campaigns.

Some agencies may offer other benefits to their staff such as company pensions schemes, bonuses, private healthcare and gym memberships.

Some of the income data above is from the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA). Figures are intended as a guide only.

How many hours does a media buyer work?

Working hours are typically 9am to 5pm, with extra hours when deadlines have to be met. Shift work is rare. You'll often be expected to network with clients and media sales representatives at lunchtimes and in the evenings.

You'll generally be office based, with a large amount of time spent negotiating on the phone or other communications channels such as Teams or Zoom. However, some time may be spent visiting clients and media sales representatives. Some agencies have flexible working hours on the understanding that staff will work late when tight deadlines require this.

How to become a media buyer

You can become a media buyer with any degree but the following subjects are particularly useful and may increase your chances:

• advertising
• business or management studies
• communications
• marketing
• media studies
• operational research and statistics
• psychology.

Entry without a degree or HND is sometimes possible, especially if you have relevant experience, have completed specialist courses by professional bodies and have excellent interpersonal skills.

You may also be able to start in a different role within an agency, gain experience and then work your way up to the role of buyer. Apprenticeships are another way of entering the field, often as an assistant buyer, or through a more advanced option such as an advertising media executive apprenticeship. Apprenticeships combine study with paid work, allowing you to train on the job and gain a qualification. You can search for an apprenticeship using Find an apprenticeship.

You may want to consider taking the IPA Foundation Certificate aimed at newcomers to the industry with less than a year's experience in in advertising, marketing or communications roles.

Key skills for a media buyer

You'll need to have:

• teamwork and interpersonal skills for liaising with clients and colleagues
• detailed media knowledge to understand different platforms and mediums
• confidence with digital ads, across various mediums
• research, data and analysis skills for researching demographics and the effectiveness of campaigns
• effective negotiation skills to get the best advertising space at the best price
• the ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines and make decisions quickly
• an understanding of the client's business, their market and objectives.

Media buyer work experience

Advertising is becoming increasingly competitive, so pre-entry work experience can be very useful. You can gain this through part-time work, work placements and voluntary work in relevant areas such as:

• advertising
• communications
• marketing.

Doing an internship with an advertising agency will give your application an edge and is looked on favourably by employers. An internship gives you practical experience and will help you to develop a network of contacts that can be useful when looking for jobs when you graduate.

You could try approaching agencies to ask if they offer work experience or to find out if it's possible for you to shadow a media buyer. A list of member agencies that can be used to make speculative applications is available through the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA).

Sales experience is also useful, as well as part-time work that demonstrates your people skills and ability to communicate effectively with others.

A strong and genuine interest in media, and an appreciation of the part it plays in advertising, is vital. A good way to support job applications is by getting to know key aspects and terms used in the industry through organisations and websites such as:

• Campaign - marketing, advertising and media news and analysis
• IAB UK (Internet Advertising Bureau) - industry body for digital advertising
• IPA - trade body and professional institute for the advertising, media and marketing communications industry.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Who employs media buyers?

Positions for media buyers are mainly found within media independents, which specialise in buying and sometimes planning and research. Traditionally, these services were only offered by advertising agencies, but you can now find work through:

• media agencies
• full-service marketing agencies
• new media agencies.

Media agencies cover all types of media while new media agencies cover advertising through the internet, digital media and text messaging. Some companies operate specialist new media departments. There is a greater opportunity to interact with the creative teams if you work in advertising or full-service marketing agencies. If you work in a creative agency, you're more likely to be involved in an integrated campaign, so your application would need to reflect your creative skills.

Look for job vacancies at Campaign Jobs and IPA Jobs Listings. You may also find vacancies in the national press and via professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn. Some media independents recruit graduates directly, while several companies recruit through specialist agencies.

Some advertising/media agencies may respond to speculative applications. Research both the role and the specific employer carefully, visit the company's website and be aware of their current presence in the market.

Where can a career in media buying lead?

Media buying is a fast-moving career, with excellent opportunities for career progression based on performance, experience and key transferable skills. Once established, you can choose to work across a range of media or specialise in specific areas of buying, such as radio, online or television.

You'll often start your career in a combined junior media planner/buyer role before specialising as a buyer. If you work for a large company, you may take part in structured training programmes, allowing you to experience the whole process from planning the relevant media to negotiating the best price. Work-based training may be supported by attending seminars and workshops delivered by key media research organisations.

You'll be expected to keep up to date with industry trends throughout your career and will have to be proactive in seeking out opportunities for continuing professional development (CPD) and training. Relevant courses are offered by organisations such as IPA and Media Research Group (MRG).

The IPA offers its members the opportunity to work towards accredited member status (MIPA). MIPA takes three years to achieve and you'll need to follow a qualifications-based programme of learning.

With the right combination of skills and experience, you can move up to a senior media buyer role and then on to the role of media account manager or media account director, with overall responsibility for the client account, and media director. Promotion to a senior or management position brings additional team and account management responsibilities.

Headhunting is common in the media industry. You may move between employers in order to obtain an increase in salary and broaden your experience. Alternatively, you may move between divisions in your own company. There are also opportunities to move to sales and marketing roles.