Common Job Opportunities for a Media Analytics Major

By: Nick Eade

What your life could look like post-grad.

Media analytics is a new major, however, this does not mean that there are not plenty of job opportunities lined up and waiting for students once they graduate with either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. Something to keep in mind when entering the field of media analytics is that many companies are looking for students with prior experience, whether that is interning for a media or marketing company, or working as an administrative assistant. 

Some examples of entry level jobs for a media analytics major are a media analyst, a media buyer, an account executive, a media planner, or a social media specialist. There are then of course paths that follow these entry level jobs and can lead to being director of marketing, a brand strategist, or a web content manager. With an array of lucrative opportunities, what are you waiting for?

Let’s look over what each of these jobs looks like on a day to day basis, and what skills are necessary to succeed in the field. 

A media analyst looks at data and then makes informed decisions and recommendations for their clients based on the data they looked at. Most analysts work 40-hour work weeks, however it is not uncommon for them to work more than that. The bright side is that the starting salary is around $70,000 per year. That’s over $35 an hour!

A media buyer must have skills in the field of email campaigns, as well as Facebook marketplace and  other social media sites that are used to advertise. Many media buyers work as marketing interns before they work as a media buyer, and many companies require you to work as an assistant media buyer before working as a media buyer. Media buyers on average take in around $50,000 per year, or about $24.60 per hour!

An account executive is a fancier version of a salesperson, their job entails finding new clients, serving existing customers, and closing deals. Communication skills are very important for this job, clearly, and many companies require any account executive to work as either a sales representative or a sales associate. Account executives must have a bachelor's degree, however they typically rake in just under $60,000 a year, or just under $29 an hour!

A media planner can pull in, on average, $54,000 a year! Not too shabby. Media planners are involved in the social media aspects of their company, as well as email campaigns, and producing PowerPoints. Many media planners start their careers as marketing interns before working their way up.

A social media specialist must have knowledge of the three main social media platforms, being Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. As when looking at resumes, these three skills were the three most common among social media specialist applicants. These workers can pull in about $48,000 a year, less than other jobs in the field, but nothing to sneeze at. 

Clearly, there are lots of opportunities within the media industry, and having a media analytics degree opens the door to many choices and career paths. The industry is expected to grow at minimum 5% in the next eight years with on average with thousands of new jobs becoming available each and every year, so be confident that you picked the right major!

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