Ad agencies took a hit in the pandemic as marketers cut spending, with Forrester estimating agencies would shed 52,000 jobs by the end of 2021.
But as spending bounced back, agencies have been hiring again.
Insider analyzed US Department of Labor's Office of Foreign Labor Certification data to see what agencies paid in 2020 and 2021.
When US ad agencies file paperwork to hire internationally, they're required to list base salary rates. Insider analyzed that data for foreign workers applying for permanent green card visas and temporary H-1B, H1B1, and E-3 visas at the five largest holding companies and top independent agencies.
The listed salaries are determined by "prevailing wages," or the minimum required for similar jobs with similar qualifications, which are also listed in the OFLC data. The Department of Labor uses these totals to protect US employees' pay and prevent educated immigrant labor from being exploited. Final salaries are considerably higher in most cases.
These numbers don't include every type of visa or pay rates for US-born employees or compensation beyond base salary. They also do not include CEOs.
Spokespeople for the five largest ad holding companies either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment.
WPP paid healthcare executives $178,000 and top creative leaders up to $880,000
WPP employs around 100,000 people in over 110 countries. Here are salaries and salary ranges for jobs at its different agencies:
- Graphic designer: $55,000 to $65,000
- Data sciences associate: $58,000
- Senior associate, paid search: $60,000
- Data analyst: $75,000
- Associate director, talent management: $76,500
- Manager, paid search: $85,000
- Manager, strategy and analytics: $85,000
- Senior people director: $92,000
- Associate director, paid social: $110,000
- IT project manager: $112,000
- Senior art director: $114,000 to $150,000
- Director of finance: $147,700
- VP, platform and operational risk: $157,500
- Analytics lead: $160,763
- SVP, strategy and development, healthcare: $178,000
- Global strategy director: $177,000 to $197,000
- Chief creative officer: $830,000 to $880,000
Omnicom paid chief strategy officers up to $500,000
Omnicom employs more than 70,000 people in over 100 countries. Here are salary ranges for jobs across its agencies:
- Creative strategist: $50,000 to $60,000
- Human resources coordinator: $54,850
- Copywriter: $55,000 to $65,000
- Accountant: $62,000 to $72,000
- Senior strategist: $82,000 to $92,000
- Platform account manager: $87,000 to $97,000
- Associate director, communications: $95,000 to $105,000
- Marketing manager: $114,046
- Associate director, marketing science: $125,000
- Data scientist: $125,000
- Brand manager: $145,000
- Account director: $170,000
- Global brand lead: $188,00 to $208,000
- Group account director: $220,000
- Chief digital officer: $275,000 to $375,000
- Managing director: $430,000 to $470,000
- Chief strategy officer: $300,000 to $500,000
Publicis paid the global lead for Verizon, one of its biggest clients, $550,000
Publicis employs around 80,000 people in more than 120 countries. Here are salaries for jobs across its agencies:
- Senior analyst: $58,500
- Associate director, search marketing: $66,000
- Engineer: $75,000
- Account manager: $78,000
- Ad operations supervisor: $80,000
- Copywriter: $85,000
- Senior copywriter: $90,000
- Account supervisor: $96,000
- Senior social scientist: $123,000
- Executive producer: $128,500
- Director of data strategy: $150,000
- Lead developer: $151,300
- VP, director: $151,924
- Solutions architect: $155,000
- Associate finance director: $177,000
- Creative director, copy: $180,000
- Senior technical architect: $189,200
- SVP, technology: $206,000
- Creative director: $240,000
- VP, digital solutions: $250,030
- SVP, group creative director: $270,000
- SVP, director: $275,000
- President, global client lead, Verizon: $550,000
- Chief creative officer: $830,000
IPG paid an executive creative director up to $350,000
IPG employs about 54,000 people in 100 countries. Here are salary ranges for jobs across its agencies:
- Human resources and operations analyst: $65,000
- Junior art director: $62,400 to $72,400
- Software engineer: $75,000 to $82,000
- Product design lead: $105,000 to $120,000
- Manager, decision sciences: $104,000 to $124,000
- Senior copywriter: $115,000 to $135,000
- VP, account director: $160,000 to $180,000
- SVP, director of technology: $170,000 to $190,000
- Associate business partner: $190,000
- Associate creative director: $175,000 to $225,000
- Managing director: $230,000
- Senior director of data analytics: $240,000
- SVP, executive creative director: $300,000 to $350,000
Dentsu Aegis Network paid a group strategy director $240,000
Dentsu Aegis Network is a division of Tokyo-based Dentsu. It employs more than 40,000 in approximately 145 countries. Here are salary ranges for jobs across its agencies:
- Assistant editor: $43,930 to $58,500
- Account executive: $58,500
- Paid social media lead: $70,000
- Senior analyst: $80,000
- Data engineer: $94,000
- Associate director of strategy: $99,362 to $110,000
- Associate director, communications planning: $108,150
- Data science manager: $120,000
- Associate creative director: $124,946 to $130,000
- Data integration lead: $131,973
- Director of change communications: $150,000
- Director of resource management: $151,840
- VP, director of content: $170,000
- Director of marketing intelligence: $155,000 to $175,000
- Solutions engineering manager: $185,090
- Group strategy director: $240,000
Top agencies outside the big holding companies, like Droga5 and Wieden + Kennedy, paid execs up to $400,000
Independent agencies and those owned by organizations outside the major holding companies also pay competitive salaries.
Here are salary ranges for independent agencies Wieden + Kennedy, Mother, and Horizon Media, as well as Droga5.
- Account executive, Wieden + Kennedy New York: $72,500
- Account supervisor, Wieden + Kennedy New York: $80,000
- Business solutions supervisor, Horizon Media: $87,000
- Senior designer, Droga5 New York: $100,000
- Account supervisor, Droga5 New York: $105,000
- Data scientist, advanced analytics, Horizon Media: $115,000
- Associate director, digital analytics, Horizon Media: $130,000
- Senior account manager, Mother Los Angeles: $150,000 to $170,000
- Copywriter, Wieden + Kennedy New York: $180,000
- Associate creative director, Droga5 New York: $200,000
- Group creative director, Droga5 New York: $310,000
- Chief knowledge officer, Droga5 New York: $400,000
Read more about the ad agencies and holding companies:
- 29 Publicis execs who are leading the ad giant through the pandemic and taking on rivals WPP and Omnicom
- Ad giant IPG created a new division to take on rivals WPP and Omnicom for healthcare dollars
- Ad agencies are starting to call staff back to the office, and it could threaten their efforts to hire
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