How much does a lead media buyer make?

Among 53 open lead media buyer listings that state pay, the median is $107,500 a year, and half of listings fall between $107,500 and $107,500.

Where does this lead media buyer pay data come from?

From current job listings on employers’ own career sites that state a pay range. Hourly pay is converted at 2,080 hours a year, and a listing’s midpoint is used. Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.

Which state pays lead media buyers the most?

Of the states with enough listings, Texas has the highest median listed pay at $107,500.

Lead Media Buyer salary: median $107,500 a year

Lead Media Buyer listings that state pay run from $107,500 to $107,500 for the middle half, based on 53 current job listings. 53 lead media buyer roles are open now.

Lead Media Buyer pay range

From 53 open listings that state pay. Annual, in US dollars.

Lower quarter: $107,500
Median: $107,500
Upper quarter: $107,500

Do AI skills change lead media buyer pay?

For Operations roles in general, as of November 9, 2026. This is the function’s figure, not one for lead media buyer alone: one title rarely has enough listings on both sides.

Among Operations listings, those that ask for an AI skill advertise +21.5% (about $28.5k) compared with similar listings that do not, matched on level and industry.

Listings that ask for an AI skill: $160,000; median, from 517 paid listings
Listings that never mention AI: $114,000; median, from 2,429 paid listings

Advertised pay only: the midpoint of the range an employer posted, on live U.S. postings read from the full text. “Asks for an AI skill” means the posting names a specific AI skill; “no AI” means it never mentions AI. A difference in what is advertised is not a promise of what you would be paid, and it does not show that learning a skill causes a raise.

See the AI-skill pay table for every function · Check your own pay against these listings

More pay data: Operations pay by level, skills that pay more and pay by employer size.

Open lead media buyer jobs

Verified against the employer’s own career site within the last week.

No verified open jobs in this area right now. Check back soon, or search all jobs.

All 53 lead media buyer jobs

Operations jobs in the rankings

Rankings about operations jobs

Best cities for operations jobs #1 New York (1,429 openings)
Best cities for operations pay after cost of living #1 Reston ($177k)
Most requested AI skills in operations jobs #1 AI tools in daily work (2.5%)
AI tools named most often in operations jobs #1 Claude (0.28%)
Employers with the most operations jobs #1 Amazon (1,480 roles)

Operations jobs · Top Operations employers · All rankings

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Lead Media Buyer salary questions

How much does a lead media buyer make?: Among 53 open lead media buyer listings that state pay, the median is $107,500 a year, and half of listings fall between $107,500 and $107,500.
Where does this lead media buyer pay data come from?: From current job listings on employers’ own career sites that state a pay range. Hourly pay is converted at 2,080 hours a year, and a listing’s midpoint is used. Listed pay is what employers advertise, not what people are paid.
Which state pays lead media buyers the most?: Of the states with enough listings, Texas has the highest median listed pay at $107,500.

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