54181/Advertising Agencies
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
200K
employees, 2023
200K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 15,512 US Advertising Agencies business locations employed 200,465 people and paid $21.4 billion in annual payroll, $106,841 per employee on average. Employment was up 2.7% from 2022. New York had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
15,512
+3.7% vs 2022
Employees
200,465
+2.7% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$21.4B
+4.3% vs 2022
Average pay
$106,841
+1.6% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Advertising Agencies in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 1,610 | 45,266 | $131,587 | 0.52% |
| California | 2,462 | 32,122 | $117,853 | 0.20% |
| Illinois | 655 | 15,453 | $102,527 | 0.27% |
| Texas | 1,264 | 11,788 | $93,676 | 0.10% |
| Florida | 1,367 | 7,666 | $89,239 | 0.08% |
| Pennsylvania | 572 | 6,480 | $87,719 | 0.11% |
| New Jersey | 393 | 6,133 | $96,211 | 0.16% |
| Massachusetts | 260 | 5,754 | $116,787 | 0.17% |
| Michigan | 358 | 5,721 | $84,693 | 0.14% |
| Missouri | 235 | 5,183 | $96,160 | 0.20% |
| Ohio | 429 | 4,354 | $82,317 | 0.09% |
| Georgia | 412 | 4,073 | $95,922 | 0.09% |
| Minnesota | 325 | 3,961 | $103,720 | 0.14% |
| Colorado | 401 | 3,573 | $101,545 | 0.14% |
| North Carolina | 354 | 3,249 | $90,835 | 0.08% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Advertising Agencies employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,626 | 47,743 | $131,263 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,401 | 19,891 | $111,832 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 595 | 14,980 | $103,465 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 328 | 7,057 | $153,429 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 464 | 5,798 | $93,549 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 212 | 5,490 | $118,353 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 355 | 5,230 | $94,682 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 208 | 4,775 | $84,683 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 607 | 4,202 | $102,476 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 114 | 3,883 | $104,777 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 322 | 3,773 | $99,871 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 269 | 3,644 | $107,279 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 259 | 2,958 | $114,856 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 246 | 2,877 | $111,030 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 267 | 2,592 | $99,346 |
Business size
US Advertising Agencies business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 10,572 | 68.2% |
| 5 to 9 | 1,859 | 12.0% |
| 10 to 19 | 1,300 | 8.4% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,000 | 6.4% |
| 50 to 99 | 389 | 2.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 261 | 1.7% |
| 250 to 499 | 99 | 0.6% |
| 500 to 999 | 28 | 0.2% |
| 1,000 or more | 4 | 0.0% |
Related industries
Advertising Agencies and the 1 industry directly below it
Part of Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 54Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 541Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services 5418
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 541810 | Advertising Agencies | 200,465 | $106,841 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Advertising Agencies in the US?
200,465 people worked at 15,512 US Advertising Agencies business locations in 2023, up 2.7% from 2022. That is 0.14% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Advertising Agencies?
$106,841 a year per employee in 2023, from $21.4 billion in annual payroll (up 1.6% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Advertising Agencies jobs?
New York had the most, with 45,266 employees in 2023, followed by California (32,122) and Illinois (15,453).
Which metro areas have the most Advertising Agencies jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (47,743), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (19,891), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (14,980) had the most Advertising Agencies employees in 2023.
Are most Advertising Agencies businesses small?
88.5% of the 15,512 Advertising Agencies business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 32 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.