Easy, Fun, Lucrative: Exploring the World of an Advertising Major

Time and again, you can easily convince your family and friends to eat at the restaurant of your liking, watch the movie of your preference, or head to a holiday resort on your bucket list.

It takes a lot of talent and skills to encourage people to make certain choices.

Have you considered majoring in advertising?

Due to your persuasive abilities, a lucrative career in advertising might be available for you — employers looking for promoting geniuses could be waiting for you to apply armed with an advertising bachelor’s degree.

So, is an advertising major challenging, high-paying, or worth it?

Advertising is an easy major.

As a matter of fact, it appears on many lists of some of the easiest majors around, although it’s on a case-to-case basis — those who are not interested in advertising and do not possess relevant skills are likely to find it hard.

Majoring in advertising is a fun pursuit for creative individuals who like to come up with fresh and bright ideas as well as collaborate with a team of people in coming up with effective campaigns.

According to Zippia, the average annual salary of advertising majors is $62,238.

It adds that the top 10% of the highest-paid advertising majors make more than $122,000 per year, while the bottom-paid 10% of advertising majors make less than $31,000 per year.

Advertising vs. Marketing vs. Business: What’s the Difference?

It’s worth pointing out the main differences between an advertising major and other similar majors.

Knowing what sets it apart from related or seemingly alike majors allows you to determine whether or not it’s the right major for you and whether or not it’s the one you need for your career goal.

Advertising: The Creative Aspect of Marketing

Without marketing, advertising won’t be as effective as a separate discipline.

That’s because advertising majors rely on marketing research and data to come up with not only creative but also compelling campaign strategies, slogans, etc.

Choosing between advertising and marketing is as easy as considering your career goal.

Do you prefer to focus on studying consumer behavior and researching trends?

Perhaps majoring in marketing rather than advertising is better for you, especially if you believe your strongest suits are researching, analytical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Meanwhile, advertising might be better for you if you take more pride in your creative and communication skills.

Business is Broader Than Advertising

There’s a wide variety of career opportunities waiting for advertising degree holders.

However, even more options are available for business majors because the discipline of their choosing covers a more extensive spectrum of areas, including accounting, management, finance, and operations.

As a matter of fact, they also cover a bit of marketing.

Feel free to major in business if you have more interest in the inner workings of commerce and trade.

But you could be better off majoring in advertising if you see yourself as someone who specializes in the promotional side of business to make it appeal to its target audience.

Is Advertising a Good Major for You?

As mentioned, advertising is an easy major.

However, just because the consensus says it’s not the most challenging major around doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right college major for a degree-seeking individual teenager like you.

Ensure you obtain as much information on advertising before you decide to major in it.

Although you can always switch majors, it consumes money and time — you want to be in and out of college with the least amount of basic resources so that you can start your professional life without unnecessary delay and expenditures.

Who Majors in Advertising?

Students who study advertising tend to have a flair for creativity and communication.

They also tend to possess critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

A bachelor’s degree in advertising might be a perfect fit for you if you are fond of coming up with innovative ideas and connecting with consumers whose behaviors and preferences you understand.

In most instances, advertising majors collaborate with other advertising majors and various experts.

Because majoring in advertising and having a career in the advertising realm requires teamwork, it matters that you have listening, conflict management, communication, and decision-making skills.

How Hard Can it Be?

Advertising is a fairly easy major.

According to College Vine’s latest ranking of the hardest and easiest college majors, advertising ranks number five in the easiest major category, a spot it shares with a public relations major.

However, whether or not majoring in advertising is easy is subjective.

Of course, individuals looking to have a career promoting products and services creatively and effectively may find advertising a fun and rewarding major.

Meanwhile, those who lack interest and passion in it may struggle to complete their degree program.

Do You Have to Be Creative to Major in Advertising?

Creativity is absolutely a valuable skill in the field of advertising.

Advertising is a competitive industry, and employers are constantly on the lookout for creative people who can think out of the box and come up with the most original and engaging solutions to various marketing needs.

However, being creative alone isn’t enough to reap academic success in an advertising degree program.

It’s a must that you also have excellent communication, analytical thinking, problem-solving, organization, collaboration, and even social media skills to shine as an advertising major.

Being able to take criticism and rejection well matters, too, for advertising is a cut-throat arena.

Is a Degree in Advertising Worth It?

Whether or not majoring in advertising is worth it depends on one’s goals and aspirations.

If you intend on leveraging your strongest suits, such as communication, creativity, and problem-solving skills, in establishing a lucrative and fulfilling career, working hard on an advertising degree may be a sound investment.

There are plenty of jobs where your advertising major could prove valuable.

Whether you already have a well-planned career path or you’re still considering various options, you will be more than happy to learn that advertising majors have plenty of work opportunities waiting for them.

It also matters you pair it with a complementary minor or one that can broaden your knowledge and skill.

Best Advertising Schools and Careers

Before you start your advertising career, it’s a must that you equip yourself with the necessary foundational knowledge and skills by enrolling in an undergraduate degree in advertising.

Many colleges offer an advertising program.

Refrain from attending the first one you run into — compare different schools and programs.

You must attend the appropriate institution and work on the right program to have the best possible college experience, which is essential in creating the right career path for you.

Top Advertising Degree Colleges and Universities

New products, services, and ideas constantly come into being.

Because of this, numerous advertising-related jobs are available for advertising majors, although it’s a competitive market since employers are always on the hunt for the best.

You can increase your job market value by opting for an excellent advertising degree program.

Not all bachelor’s degree programs in advertising are the same.

You must consider your career goals when choosing from your various options, but you must not forget to look into common criteria like cost of attendance, financial aid programs, location, and campus culture.

Usually, an advertising major is available in the Department of Communication or Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Look into the available facilities and staff and faculty members of the department in which advertising major is an offering to have a much better idea of what you will be getting yourself into.

According to Niche, the following are the top 15 best colleges for advertising majors:

Institution	Location
Boston University	Boston, MA
University of Florida	Gainesville, FL
University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX
University of Georgia	Athens, GA
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Champaign, IL
University of Miami	Coral Gables, FL
University of Central Florida	Orlando, FL
Brigham Young University	Provo, UT
Michigan State University	East Lansing, MI
Southern Methodist University	Dallas, TX
Pennsylvania State University	University Park, PA
University of Oklahoma	Norman, OK
University of South Carolina	Columbia, SC
Iowa State University	Ames, IA
The University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, AL

What Can You Do With an Advertising Degree?

Career opportunities for advertising majors come aplenty.

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in advertising, you may take on roles such as a marketing manager, public relations manager, website designer, or social media manager.

Industries you can work in can vary, too.

Of course, you may seek employment in advertising agencies.

However, you can also find jobs in non-profit organizations, private corporate marketing departments, and marketing consulting agencies. Freelance consulting is also always an option.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the projected job growth rate for advertising majors within the decade is 6%, which is higher than the national average for all occupations in the country (3%).

It adds that approximately 34,000 job openings are available for them every year.

The average annual advertising major salary, as mentioned, amounts to $62,238.

Let the following advertising major jobs and their respective median annual salaries help you determine whether or not working on a bachelor’s degree in advertising is a wise educational investment:

Job Position	Average Salary Per Year
Account executive	$64,279
Art director	$63,532
Marketing manager	$63,285
Marketing analyst	$59,998
Campaign manager	$57,314
Advertising sales representative	$54,481
Public relations manager	$54,262
Copywriter	$52,472
Graphic designer	$50,410
Web designer	$48,300
Social media manager	$47,164
Marketing representative	$45,433
Video editor	$44,593
Photographer	$39,512
Event planner	$38,409

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