This is part of a recurring series that examines ad industry jobs and what they’re paying.

Ad students and entry-level industry job seekers have expressed difficulty finding opportunities amid a tough job market. But job hopefuls shouldn’t despair: Brands and agencies are still seeking bright young talent, especially as they aim to connect with Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers.

Ad Age searched ad agency and marketing listings in August for entry-level jobs in New York, across disciplines and various sites including LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, Indeed and others. Highlighted below are some of the more interesting roles shops and brands are looking to fill for junior professionals, along with the sometimes very broad salary ranges posted.

Note that some of these listings may have been since filled or adjusted, and Ad Age has not detailed the benefits offered with each role.

What are entry-level jobs in the ad industry?

Ad professionals generally hold junior roles if they have zero to five years of experience. The open entry-level roles across agencies and brands most abundant right now include marketing associates, junior copywriters and art directors, as well as social media-focused jobs and entry-level media planners, according to Ad Age’s search.

Increasingly, junior professionals are being given more responsibility, especially as agencies and brands seek to unpack new TikTok trends and other social media insights that help marketers engage with young consumers.

Gone are the days of entry-level professionals fetching coffee for more senior executives and taking on reception roles to break into the business, according to Francesca Piancone and Sarah Latz, the founders and directors of the online six-month ad portfolio school book180.

“We’re seeing our graduates get offered junior copywriting and art direction internships and full-time roles at earned media agencies, traditional agencies and in-house agencies across the country,” Piancone and Latz wrote in a joint email. “There’s not a lot of bandwidth in the industry right now for agencies to hire people who aren’t delivering results and contributing directly to the bottom line, so the juniors we know are really being leveraged for their talent.”

Creative and account departments “have the most open roles right now for juniors,” Piancone and Latz wrote. “If you’re interested in strategy or production, it might benefit you to get your foot in the door in the account department and then work towards pivoting into the career you really want after a year or two.”

Rachel Brandt, founder of independent agency Corner Table Creative, said because her shop is “primarily social,” it is “not uncommon for a junior employee to be in a CMO-level conversation.” She said that’s been true for at least the last five years. Her shop currently has open entry-level trend and culture editor roles as well as creative strategy coordinator jobs.

“Junior professionals are being given more responsibilities and that’s a really positive thing,” Brandt said.

Read more from Ad Age: Reverse mentoring in advertising

“You could make an argument that at one point, coffee runs and reception roles were intended to instill foundational client service and communication skills,” said Brandt, but as the industry has moved into a more hybrid and remote environment, she said those tasks have become “irrelevant.”

On a production set, she said, “nobody is too junior or too senior to pick up coffee before a shoot.”

Why are junior professionals in demand?

The rise in the creator economy, new and emerging technologies and the desire to reach young consumers via popular social platforms are increasing demand for junior professionals, particularly in social media.

“New and emerging platforms are critical to many brands’ successes and truly knowing, utilizing and engaging with those platforms every day is of inherent value,” Brandt said. “Our junior professionals often have larger communities who are engaging in these new spaces and come with really strong, interesting and creative points of view.”

Some agencies are hiring junior professionals for their curiosity and eagerness to play with emerging technologies such as AI. Ad Age’s search saw a few open job openings list interest in AI as a desired skill in candidates.

“Curiosity has never been more important,” said Amanda Ferrante, chief growth officer of digital marketing agency Code3. “AI and technology solutions are core to where the industry is headed. There’s a massive white space for young talent [who learn] to harness tech in a way that older talent just won’t. They won’t know any different.”

What skills should junior professionals have?

In addition to social media and AI skills, employers searching for entry-level candidates are seeking more soft skills, such as the ability to communicate effectively and work with others.

These include “data fluency, creativity and business acumen,” said Barbara Munin, group director of activation at Code3. “On top of that, with the pace of change in this industry, we’re looking for candidates who have a proven track record of self-awareness, openness to feedback and drive.”

“The ability to navigate ambiguity and solve problems is paramount for entry-level professionals,” said Holly Willis, founder of independent shop Magic Camp. “Demonstrating the capacity to break down complex challenges into actionable steps and maintain resilience under pressure will make you an indispensable asset to any team.”

John Geletka, founder and chief experience officer of the full-service shop Geletka+, said his agency just hired two of its interns full-time, as an associate account manager and junior designer. He said he looks for “a strong portfolio, compelling story and an unrelenting drive to create the best work of your life” in junior talent.

More agency news: Agencies are launching design units

Job experience requirements vary depending on the role and company making the hire, according to Ad Age’s search. There are exceptions, but holding company agencies seem to require more experience (at least two years) than some smaller shops, most of which either didn’t list an experience requirement or wrote that internships would count, per Ad Age’s search.

Here are a few areas agencies and brands are looking for junior talent to be adept in for the open jobs:

• Understanding data
• Strong knowledge of social media platforms
• Organization
• Detail-oriented
• Interest in emerging technology
• Good collaboration and teamwork skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

How much do entry-level jobs pay?

The average New York salary for a junior professional is between $65,000 and $75,000 a year, according to Piancone and Latz. Compared to other cities, they wrote, that’s in line with what Los Angeles junior advertising jobs pay, but is 15% to 20% higher than Chicago junior salaries, which are more in the range of $55,000 to $65,000 a year.

“Interestingly, though, we’re noticing that agencies outside of major advertising markets will sometimes offer a very competitive salary of $65,000-$70,000 in order to retain good talent in cities like Atlanta, St. Louis, Richmond and Austin,” Piancone and Latz wrote.

More: New York’s hot ad jobs market is hurting other cities

Ad Age’s search found salaries for junior professionals in New York ranged wildly; the lowest was $34,000 a year and highest was $101,500 a year.

Willis said agencies are having a hard time competing for entry-level talent as agency salaries are typically lower than other companies competing for the same talent, “namely in-house teams, tech and influencer marketing" firms.

“There are still wide gaps in salaries between the most senior folks and junior employees, so most juniors feel the need to move up quickly to make an actual living wage,” she said. “And it’s still the unspoken rule that to move up, the easiest way is to move companies.” That has resulted in high turnover in the industry, Willis said.

Much depends on the specific role and the company, but here’s a glimpse of junior ad salaries, thanks to a law in New York that went into effect Nov. 1, 2022 requiring companies to include good faith pay ranges for all job listings.

Job title: Marketing associate, L’Oréal
Salary range: $47,000 - $95,000 a year

L’Oréal is seeking an entry-level marketing associate; someone who will help process and track marketing projects. This person will work with brand managers to tackle duties such as setting up and entering promotional displays and creating content briefs for e-commerce product detail pages, per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: A bachelor’s degree and the candidate “must have graduated within the past 12 months; solid understanding of data management and ability to use Excel to organize data, create reports.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Junior copywriter, Laundry Service
Salary range: $60,000 - $70,000 a year

Wasserman-owned Laundry Service is hiring a social media-focused junior copywriter; someone who is a “social native: you instinctively know the kinds of ideas that will fly in-feed, who the best creator/influencer is to bring it to life and you have a knack for expressing them in ways that clients love—both in decks and in meetings. The role will mainly be focused on developing a variety of creator-focused campaign content ideas for influencer and creator channels, sometimes including the brand’s owned social channels, as well as writing copy for social content and client-facing presentations,” per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: “Two years of experience in a similar social-focused role; you can name an influencer or creator perfectly-suited for an idea off the top of their head; you ask questions, you are curious, take direction well, and are open to trying new things; you are comfortable working as part of a small multi-disciplinary team, chipping in wherever needed and no ask is too small or too big for you.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Junior associate, global marketing at Philosophy, Coty
Salary range: $25 -$35 an hour

Coty is looking to hire a junior associate of global marketing for its Philosophy brand of skincare products and fragrances. This person “will put forth innovative and inspiring products that ultimately aid in the growth of the brand as well as be responsible for all touch points during the process of development (concept ideation, packaging development, merchandising, digital/social, go-to-market). In an effort to reinforce the business and the desirability of the Philosophy brand, we seek a junior associate to aid on the tactical business development globally,” according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: A four-year undergraduate degree; “previous marketing experience required; strong Power Point skills; should demonstrate ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment; must be mature, responsible, accountable and organized as well as exhibit excellence in execution; demonstrate strong sense of creativity, innovation and intuition.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Social media coordinator, Viacom
Salary range: $50,000 - $68,000 a year

Viacom is looking for a social media coordinator. This person will write and publish copy across social media platforms, “assist in asset development and track due dates to support social rollout calendars, monitor mentions, identify social buzz and help ideate content that will support key social KPIs,” among other responsibilities, according to the listing.

Skills desired for this role include: At least two years of experience working on social media; “must be able to demonstrate a strong knowledge base of social media platforms; experience building social media assets like gifs and polls; experience working in the entertainment industry or at an agency.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Media assistant, Macy’s
Salary range: $49,486 - $58,946 a year

Macy’s is looking to hire a media assistant who will support its larger media buying team on strategy. This person will “assist in the creation and execution of Macy’s media strategy, including researching and analyzing media data and trends; ensure timely and accurate media buys, including monitoring media campaigns and providing post-buy analysis; manage and maintain media calendars, budgets, and other related materials,” among other duties, per the job post.

Skills desired for this role include: “The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented and passionate about media and advertising. To be successful in this role, you should have excellent customer service and communication skills, along with the ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks; proficiency in Microsoft Office suite and Adobe creative suite; excellent written and verbal communication skills; strong organizational skills.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Junior art director, The&Partnership
Salary range: $68,000 - $75,000 a year

WPP’s The&Partnership, which recently merged with mSix&Partners to form an AI-focused integrated shop, T&Pm, is looking for a junior art director. This person will “work as part of an embed agency who can create compelling communications across social media, film, print, digital outdoor and CRM, and must be interested in emerging technology such as AI and motion,” per the job post.

Skills desired for this role include: At least two years of relevant job experience; “experience designing for integrated campaigns, including social, digital and web, print; have a sharp eye for detail and be able to finish work to a very high standard themselves; excellent usage and understanding of Adobe creative suite.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Junior digital art director, Publicis Groupe
Salary range: $59,000 - $82,500 a year

Publicis Groupe has an open junior digital art director role. The ideal candidate should be ready to “blow up the establishment” and work with development teams “to conceptualize, design and execute engaging digital experiences. The successful candidate will be a dynamic junior digital art director with an innovative mindset and a passion for solving complex visual problems,” according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: “An exceptional visual design background and [the successful candidate] will be passionate about crafting unique, compelling, and contemporary visual designs; portfolio that shows a range of user-focused desktop and mobile-design solutions; experience with strategic brainstorming, campaign development, creative brief development and creative execution; will have a strong understanding of design systems and have experience collaborating with experience design (XD) and development teams;” as well as at least two years of “mobile-first visual design experience.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Art director, Razorfish Health
Salary range: $64,500 - $101,500 a year

Publicis-owned Razorfish Health has a few open art director roles including for a junior professional. The wide salary range reflects the various levels of art directors the agency is seeking to hire (a junior likely won’t earn $101,500 a year). Generally, the art directors will “create and communicate concepts; design comps, storyboards, initial graphic concepts and final deliverables; communicate and articulate concept rationales,” among other duties, per the job post.

Skills desired for this role include: At least two years of “strong digital design work experience; expert use of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign; robust design portfolio with combination of print and web.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Planner, paid social, Digitas
Salary range: $58,500 - $88,000 a year

Publicis-owned Digitas is looking to hire an entry-level planner in paid social. This person’s responsibilities include “working across all social platforms to plan, implement, manage and optimize data-driven campaigns. Additionally, this role works closely with the national paid social practice to constantly track the market, evaluate new opportunities, create training materials and vet new social/messaging platforms and API partners,” per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: At least one year of “hands-on experience working in self-service capacity within social platforms; superior collaboration and teamwork skills; [candidates must be] effective at project management and ability to re-prioritize while operating within a fast paced environment, while maintaining attention to detail; [and have] intermediate to advanced skills in [Microsoft] Excel.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Data analyst, social and paid media, Pereira O’Dell
Salary range: $65,000 - $85,000 a year

Serviceplan-owned Pereira O’Dell is looking for an entry-level data analyst across social and paid media. The person will be expected to develop insights from social media data. “The social and media data analyst role is responsible for pulling, transforming and analyzing data sets (from organic social/media/website/campaign) to provide actionable insights and aid with data-driven strategies,” according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: At least one year of experience “within an agency or brand setting; must have a background in analyzing data (social media, media, website) and generating reports, as well as using social listening and monitoring tools to derive insights; experience using social listening tools and content publishing tools (i.e. Brandwatch, Meltwater, Sprinklr, Emplifi).”

See the job post here.

Job title: Project manager, Dentsu Creative U.S.
Salary range: $59,000 - $96,025 a year

Dentsu Creative U.S. is hiring an entry-level project manager to support “the management of all activities with internal teams, agency clients and external partners for the assigned business/product.” This person will report to the director of project management and also “ensure all assigned tasks are delivered on time and budget, and according to internal processes and industry best practices,” according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: At least two years of relevant experience and candidates must “demonstrate core project management skills in organization, facilitation, negotiation and communication to keep team members up to date on status of projects; demonstrate capacity to understand dynamics of multi-discipline teams and resolve team-related issues that could affect deliverables.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Copywriter, Neon
Salary range: $60,000 - $75,000 a year

Neon, an IPG Health agency, is looking for an entry-level copywriter to focus on writing in the oncology space. This person “is responsible for researching, creating and writing copy that properly reflects the client’s strategy; generates unique and innovative materials for brand, developing text from draft stage through final copy; through research and review of literature, acts as a drug information specialist,” according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: A bachelor’s degree in marketing, advertising, communications or a related field; the successful candidate should “possess working knowledge of product challenges in relation to overall market; solid knowledge of word text programs; is attentive and shows interest in the subject; expresses ideas clearly and accurately.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Finance analyst, FCB Health
Salary range: $50,000 - $57,500 a year

FCB Health, also part of the IPG Health network, is looking for an entry-level finance analyst to “proactively manage all billable and non-billable jobs,” as well as “monitor, open and close jobs; work with agency teams to collect and enter estimates; monitor open purchase orders and ensure vendor invoices are received timely,” among other responsibilities.

Skills desired for this role include: A bachelor’s degree; at least one year of experience; proficiency in Microsoft Excel as well as “in advanced functions and formulas to perform V-LOOKUP, pivot tables, charts and graphs data.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Assistant editor, Craft Worldwide
Salary range: $50,000 a year

Craft Worldwide, an IPG-owned McCann production studio, is looking to hire an entry-level assistant editor. This person’s responsibilities include “searching for and curating video footage, managing and maintaining our digital media library, assisting with final project back-ups and cataloging and shipping elements as needed” and ”assisting editors on projects, which will include footage/music searching, assembling stringouts and supervised editing,” per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: “Photoshop, Illustrator and Media Encoder; a passion for visual storytelling and a good eye for strong footage; exceptional attention to detail; excellent time management and multitasking skills; effective independent problem solving.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Copywriter, Omnicom Health Group
Salary range: $60,000 - $79,800 a year

Omnicom Health Group is looking for an entry-level copywriter. This person will be “responsible for using his/her writing and referencing skills to enhance the agency’s copy offerings to the client; understanding the copy platform for each assigned account; demonstrate ability to develop creative work that is on strategy, with regular supervision,” among other duties, according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: At least one year of experience in advertising or a related industry; a college degree; a portfolio “demonstrating strong creative abilities; excellent oral communication and presentation skills; knowledge, background and/or interest in science and medicine.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Analyst, automation, Omnicom Media Group
Salary range: $34,000 - $60,000 a year

Omnicom Media Group is looking to hire an analyst to handle automation maintenance within its OMnet platform, which finds cost savings for clients. This person will “review the data input by other teams, identify discrepancies, and coordinate updates and revisions to ensure accuracy; serve as the first point of contact for minor technical issues related to existing macros and automated solutions; troubleshoot and resolve problems promptly,” among other responsibilities, per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: Proficiency with Microsoft Excel; “strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail; excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to interact with team members and other departments effectively.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Community manager, McKinney
Salary range: $60,000 - $70,000 a year

McKinney is looking to hire an entry-level community manager to “build an engaged online community through the creation of timely content and two-way communication with audiences and followers. This role supports the overall social media strategy to align audience interests with relevant content and generate engagement. This includes being up on the latest meme, TikTok trend or Discord server,” among other duties, per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: At least one year of “related experience moderating and managing online communities; comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; practices attentive and active listening.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Influencer coordinator, Shadow
Salary range: $44,000 a year

Creative communications agency Shadow is looking for an influencer coordinator. This person will be responsible for “building and editing mailer lists, invite lists and other target lists; researching and sharing industry intel, including monthly events and other entertainment/social media/influencer news with the agency; building the influencer division internal newsletter,” among other other duties, per the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: A  bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, journalism, communications or a related field; “at least one year of on-the-job experience (including internships); extremely organized and detail oriented; passionate about the celebrity and influencer landscape.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Entry-level marketing coordinator, Hype Tier
Salary range: $22.50 to $32 an hour

Hype Tier, a social media marketing shop, has a few open junior roles including for a marketing coordinator. This person will assist in developing marketing strategies and campaigns, as well as “support the creation and editing of marketing materials including brochures, flyers and presentations,” among other responsibilities, per the job post.

Skills desired for this role include: Being highly motivated and detail-oriented; a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business or another related field; “strong written and verbal communication skills; proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint; knowledge of social media platforms and best practices.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Entry-level social media assistant, Hype Tier
Salary range: $27.50 - $33 an hour

Hype Tier is also hiring for an entry-level social media assistant. This person will help manage the shop’s social media presence and engage with its audience effectively. The social media assistant will help create and curate “engaging content” for different channels including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, as well as X (formerly Twitter). This person will also monitor and respond to comments and messages on these platforms, per the listing.

Skills desired for this role include: A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communication or another related field; a “strong knowledge of popular social media platforms; excellent written and verbal communication skills; proficiency in using social media management tools such as Hootsuite or Buffer.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Entry-level marketing assistant, WiseUp Creative
Salary range: $49,500 - $68,000 a year

Communications agency WiseUp Creative is seeking an entry-level marketing assistant to help provide advice, customer service and assistance to clients. This person will specifically compile and distribute financial and statistical reports, analyze questionnaires, write company brochures and organize and host presentations, among other duties, according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: “Confidence; organizational skills; commercial awareness; adaptability; creativity; good teamworking skills; communication; numerical skills.”

See the job post here.

Job title: Junior designer and writer, Bandujo
Salary range: $60,000 - $75,000 a year

Full-service agency Bandujo is seeking a junior professional to design and write “across a range of digital media, including social, email and landing pages and traditional media, such as television and outdoor. It’s a great opportunity to begin or continue your career working with some great clients who appreciate and value our work,” according to the job listing.

Skills desired for this role include: A “solid knowledge of Sketch and the Adobe creative suite” and a minimum of three but ideally four days in-office at its Flatiron studio in New York.

See the job post here.