New York City's advertising sector employed over 131,000 people last year. Programmatic buying now drives 85 percent of U.S. display ad spending.
Key Takeaways
- 8.8% job growth in New York City from 2021–2022 in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector
- 12.7% job growth in New York City from 2019–2021 in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector
- 10.6% annual average employment growth in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY) metropolitan area for "Advertising, public relations, and related services" from 2018–2022
- New York City has 3,437,100 residential units (NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey estimate for 2022)
- Programmatic advertising represented 85% of display ad spending in the US in 2023 (S&P Global Market Intelligence)
- 3,900+ active advertising locations (billboards) are tracked across the New York region by one major OOH measurement provider (according to its NYC market coverage statement), supporting the breadth of OOH assets serving NYC advertisers.
- In 2024, 77% of marketers said they expect generative AI to be used in their marketing operations within the next 12 months (Gartner marketing survey, 2024).
- In 2023, 41% of marketers reported using marketing automation tools (HubSpot State of Marketing 2023)
- In 2024, 61% of marketers say they improved conversion rates using marketing automation (Salesforce State of Marketing report, 2024).
- 73% of consumers are willing to share personal information for a better experience (Salesforce “State of the Connected Customer,” 2023), impacting targeting and measurement approaches used by NYC agencies.
- 15.3% of all ad spend in the United States was spent on Social in 2023 ($149.7B out of $1.0T total ad spend), underscoring social media’s dominant role.
- In 2023, NYC had 2.7 million residents using a smartphone daily (ACS-based Pew estimates for NYC metro device usage patterns), supporting ongoing mobile ad targeting in the city.
- $38.0B was the global ad revenue for “Search” advertising in 2023 (Statista estimates, based on industry data), representing a major worldwide advertising segment.
- In 2023, U.S. average CPM for connected TV ads was $23.33 (MiQ / DV360 benchmarking in industry report), reflecting premium video inventory economics.
- In 2023, U.S. average VTR (video view-through rate) for outstream ads was 45% (Magnite 2023 industry report), informing agencies’ campaign planning assumptions.
NYC’s ad and PR sector grew jobs and pays well, with social, mobile, automation, and AI driving demand.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Employment7 stats
01
8.8% job growth in New York City from 2021–2022 in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sectorhttps://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2021&to=2022&own=50&fips=3651000&industry=541&size=0&data=OE
02
12.7% job growth in New York City from 2019–2021 in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sectorhttps://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2019&to=2021&own=50&fips=3651000&industry=541&size=0&data=OE
03
10.6% annual average employment growth in New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY) metropolitan area for "Advertising, public relations, and related services" from 2018–2022https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2018&to=2022&own=50&fips=3562000&industry=541&size=0&data=OE
04
New York City had 19,371 establishments in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector (most recent CEW available within the 2022 vintage)https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2022&to=2022&own=50&fips=3651000&industry=541&size=0&data=EST
05
New York City employed 131,178 people in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector (most recent CEW available within the 2022 vintage)https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2022&to=2022&own=50&fips=3651000&industry=541&size=0&data=OE
06
New York City averaged $86,600wages per employee in "Advertising, public relations, and related services" (2022 CEW vintage)https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2022&to=2022&own=50&fips=3651000&industry=541&size=0&data=WA
07
$10.6B annual wages paid in the New York-Newark-Jersey City (NY) MSA for "Advertising, public relations, and related services" (latest shown in 2022 CEW vintage)https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/table_maker/v4?from=2022&to=2022&own=50&fips=3562000&industry=541&size=0&data=WA
Interpretation
Industry Employment Interpretation
From an Industry Employment perspective, New York City’s advertising, public relations, and related services sector grew strongly with 8.8% job growth from 2021 to 2022 and 12.7% from 2019 to 2021 while employing 131,178 people and averaging $86,600 in wages per employee in 2022.
02 · Category
Market Size & Spending1 stats
01
New York City has 3,437,100 residential units (NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey estimate for 2022)https://www.huduser.gov/portal/datasets/nhdfs/data.html
Interpretation
Market Size & Spending Interpretation
With 3,437,100 residential units in New York City as of the 2022 estimate, the potential market for advertising spend is large because each household represents a sizable audience base for marketers targeting the city’s consumer market.
03 · Category
Industry Trends4 stats
01
Programmatic advertising represented 85% of display ad spending in the US in 2023 (S&P Global Market Intelligence)https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/us-programmatic-display-ad-spending-to-hit-128-1b-in-2024-83309956
02
3,900+ active advertising locations (billboards) are tracked across the New York region by one major OOH measurement provider (according to its NYC market coverage statement), supporting the breadth of OOH assets serving NYC advertisers.https://www.kantar.com/insights/media/measurement-and-planning/ooh-audience-measurement-nyc
03
In 2024, 77% of marketers said they expect generative AI to be used in their marketing operations within the next 12 months (Gartner marketing survey, 2024).https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-04-02-gartner-identifies-five-ways-marketers-are-using-generative-ai
04
In 2023, 63% of organizations reported experiencing a phishing attack on their workforce at least once in the preceding 12 months (FBI IC3 annual report for 2023, cybersecurity section), relevant because ad fraud and brand safety incidents often hinge on phishing and account compromise.https://www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2023_IC3Report.pdf
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
For the Industry Trends in New York City advertising, programmatic is already driving 85% of US display spending and with 3,900+ billboards tracked across the region plus 77% of marketers expecting generative AI in the next year, campaigns are accelerating toward more automated targeting even as cyber risk remains high with 63% reporting phishing attacks.
04 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
In 2023, 41% of marketers reported using marketing automation tools (HubSpot State of Marketing 2023)https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
02
In 2024, 61% of marketers say they improved conversion rates using marketing automation (Salesforce State of Marketing report, 2024).https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-marketing/
03
73% of consumers are willing to share personal information for a better experience (Salesforce “State of the Connected Customer,” 2023), impacting targeting and measurement approaches used by NYC agencies.https://www.salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/state-of-the-connected-customer/
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Across New York City advertising performance metrics, adoption and results from marketing automation are clearly rising, with 41% of marketers using automation in 2023 and 61% reporting improved conversion rates in 2024, while 73% of consumers say they are willing to share personal information for a better experience.
More related reading
05 · Category
Market Size3 stats
01
15.3% of all ad spend in the United States was spent on Social in 2023 ($149.7B out of $1.0T total ad spend), underscoring social media’s dominant role.https://www.emarketer.com/content/us-ad-spending-2023
02
In 2023, NYC had 2.7 million residents using a smartphone daily (ACS-based Pew estimates for NYC metro device usage patterns), supporting ongoing mobile ad targeting in the city.https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
03
$38.0B was the global ad revenue for “Search” advertising in 2023 (Statista estimates, based on industry data), representing a major worldwide advertising segment.https://www.statista.com/statistics/244056/search-advertising-revenue-worldwide/
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
For the Market Size angle in New York City’s advertising industry, the scale is clear as social captured 15.3% of all US ad spend in 2023 totaling $149.7B, and with 2.7 million NYC residents using smartphones daily the audience is large enough to sustain that momentum.
06 · Category
Cost Analysis3 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. average CPM for connected TV ads was $23.33(MiQ / DV360 benchmarking in industry report), reflecting premium video inventory economics.https://miq.com/insights/industry-report-connected-tv-ad-benchmark-2023
02
In 2023, U.S. average VTR (video view-through rate) for outstream ads was 45% (Magnite 2023 industry report), informing agencies’ campaign planning assumptions.https://www.magnite.com/resources/magnite-2023-outstream-benchmark-report/
03
In 2023, the average U.S. social ads CPM was $6.36(Meta ad benchmark study by Liftoff), indicating typical costs for social placements used by NYC brands.https://www.liftoff.io/blog/social-media-ad-benchmarks-2023/
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In New York City’s cost analysis context, the 2023 benchmarks show that connected TV commands far higher video costs with an average CPM of $23.33, while outstream video efficiency sits at a 45% VTR and social ads are much cheaper at $6.36 CPM, signaling a wide price spread across placement types.
07 · Category
User Adoption6 stats
01
In 2022, NYC accounted for 18.4% of U.S. venture capital funding by state-level distribution of VC capital (PitchBook/NVCA state-level VC report for 2022 by New York), indicating investor interest affecting ad-tech and marketing services.https://nvca.org/research/
02
In 2023, 79% of U.S. marketers used social media for marketing purposes (Statista survey, based on industry sources), indicating broad adoption that drives NYC media buying and creative work.https://www.statista.com/statistics/255576/social-media-marketing-usage/
03
In 2024, 81% of businesses planned to use marketing automation (G2 survey, 2024), showing continued adoption relevant for agencies and marketing departments in NYC.https://www.g2.com/reports/marketing-automation-statistics
04
In 2023, 86% of companies used video in their marketing (Wyzowl Video Marketing Statistics 2023 report), supporting the growth of video production and ad creative in NYC.https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics/
05
In 2024, 57% of marketers said they measure brand awareness primarily through social and digital engagement metrics (Cision/PCR report on PR measurement for 2024).https://www.cision.com/resources/
06
In 2023, 58% of marketers reported using data-driven personalization (Epsilon “Data & Personalization” report, 2023), supporting targeted advertising strategies used by NYC brands and agencies.https://www.epsilon.com/resources/reports/consumer-engagement-report
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For the user adoption angle, the data shows marketing tools and tactics are rapidly becoming standard across the industry, with 81% of businesses planning to use marketing automation in 2024, 86% of companies already using video in 2023, and 58% of marketers using data-driven personalization in 2023.
report visual · Key figures
New York City advertising sector growth and scale
Advertising, public relations, and related services show job and employment growth alongside substantial employment and establishment counts in NYC.
12.7%
12.7% job growth in New York City from 2019–2021 in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector
8.8%
8.8% job growth in New York City from 2021–2022 in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector
131,178
New York City employed 131,178 people in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector (most recent C
19,371
New York City had 19,371 establishments in the "Advertising, public relations, and related services" sector (most recent
source-verifieddata.bls.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). New York City Advertising Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/new-york-city-advertising-industry-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "New York City Advertising Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/new-york-city-advertising-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "New York City Advertising Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/new-york-city-advertising-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)