ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Freelance Media Planner Jobs (NOW HIRING)

McGarrah Jessee

Temporary Media Planner

Austin, TX · On-site

$45 - $54/hr

We're looking for a freelance media planner dedicated to one of our largest accounts, a national retailer in an aggressive expansion phase -- focused primarily on new store growth. This brand is ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Boston, MA · On-site

$60K - $89K/yr

Responsibilities You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Manhattan, NY

$59K - $90K/yr

Responsibilities You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Boston, MA · On-site

$60K - $89K/yr

You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning expertise. Every ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$59K - $90K/yr

Responsibilities You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$60K - $93K/yr

Responsibilities You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Boston, MA · On-site

$60K - $89K/yr

You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning expertise. Every ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

Publicis Groupe Holdings B.V

Media Planner

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$60K - $93K/yr

Responsibilities You'll be a force within the company, known as a go-to-person for media planning ... Temporary roles may be eligible to participate in our freelancer/temporary employee medical plan ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsMedia Planner JobsFreelance Media Planner Jobs

Freelance Media Planner information

See salary details

$40.5K

$75.1K

$120.5K

How much do freelance media planner jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for freelance media planner in the United States is $75,145.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $59,500.00 and $82,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are typical challenges faced by Freelance Media Planners, and how can they be managed?

Freelance Media Planners often face challenges such as managing multiple client campaigns with varying deadlines, staying updated with rapidly changing media platforms, and demonstrating measurable results to clients. Juggling these demands requires excellent organizational skills and a proactive approach to learning about new tools and emerging trends. Building strong communication channels with clients and setting clear expectations from the outset can help smooth workflow and increase client satisfaction. Successful freelancers also prioritize continuous professional development to stay competitive and deliver effective, data-driven media strategies.

What is a Freelance Media Planner job?

A Freelance Media Planner is a professional who develops and implements media strategies for clients on a contract basis. They analyze target audiences, select the best media channels, and allocate budgets to maximize advertising effectiveness. Unlike in-house media planners, freelancers work with multiple clients and have more flexibility in choosing projects. Their responsibilities often include researching market trends, negotiating ad placements, and optimizing campaign performance.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Freelance Media Planner position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Freelance Media Planner, you need a strong understanding of media strategy, market research, campaign analytics, and digital marketing principles, often supported by a degree in marketing, advertising, or a related field. Familiarity with media buying platforms, analytics software like Google Analytics, and industry planning tools such as Nielsen or Comscore is highly beneficial. Strong communication, project management, and negotiation skills are essential for collaborating with clients and vendors and managing multiple projects simultaneously. These competencies ensure effective campaign planning and execution, maximizing client ROI and fostering lasting business relationships.

More about Freelance Media Planner jobs
What cities are hiring for Freelance Media Planner jobs? Cities with the most Freelance Media Planner job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Media Planner jobs? The most popular types of Media Planner jobs are:
What states have the most Freelance Media Planner jobs? States with the most job openings for Freelance Media Planner jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Freelance Media Planner jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Freelance Media Planner jobs are:
Freelance Media Planner jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Media Planner job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 57% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 23% Contract, and 6% Nights. Highlights an 60% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 38% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $75,145 per year, or $36.1 per hour.
Temporary Media Planner

Temporary Media Planner

McGarrah Jessee

Austin, TX • On-site

$45 - $54/hr

Full-time

Posted 10 days ago

Job description

We're looking for a freelance media planner dedicated to one of our largest accounts, a national retailer in an aggressive expansion phase — focused primarily on new store growth. This brand is opening 20+ stores a year, and every one of those openings is a local launch. New market, new audience, new community. This role builds the media plans that turn a grand opening into a market entrance.
Our approach is simple: sound national, act local. Each new store market gets its own plan — built from a repeatable launch playbook, then made specific to the market. Local broadcast, out-of-home, geo-targeted digital and social, community partnerships, grand opening moments. The right planner sees each market as its own puzzle, not a copy-paste of the last one.
This role requires organization and adaptability — at any given time, multiple markets will be in different stages of launch, from planning to pre-opening awareness to post-opening ramp. We're looking for someone thorough, diligent, and genuinely curious about the communities the brand is entering, who over-communicates to keep launches on track across internal disciplines and local vendor partners.
Broad understanding across digital and local media channels is necessary. Experience with campaign management tools (or the ability to learn them quickly) is a must. Local broadcast and OOH knowledge are a strong plus — these channels do real work in a store opening.

Responsibilities

  • Support the team building localized media plans for each new store market spanning the full launch arc: pre-opening awareness, grand opening traffic, and post-opening ramp.
  • Research every new market before planning it — local media landscape, competitive presence, and audience behavior specific to that market.
  • Identify local moments, partnerships, and non-traditional opportunities that make the brand feel native to a community from day one, not like a national brand parachuting in.
  • Manage vendor communication and campaign implementation across markets: entering buys, trafficking tags and creative, ongoing QA, and coordinating with analytics on tracking setup.
  • Maintain organized, accurate flowcharts, budget documents, and billing details across multiple simultaneous market launches — each with its own budget, timeline, and vendor set.
  • Collaborate closely with broadcast, performance, and analytics teams to ensure local TV/radio, geo-targeted search, and paid social are working as one system per market.
  • Support asset needs, ensuring creative is properly tailored, sized, and localized for each market and channel.
  • Stay current on local vendor offerings market to market, and maintain a system for sharing that intelligence with the broader team.

Requirements

  • 1–3 years of media planning experience across multi-channel strategies; local market or multi-market launch experience is a strong plus.
  • Experience tracking budgets across multiple concurrent campaigns, ensuring spend is both efficient and effective.
  • Strong organizational instincts — this role lives in parallel timelines.
  • Excellent analysis, reporting, and problem-solving skills; comfort connecting media activity to real-world outcomes like store traffic.
  • Excellent oral and written communication, organization, and planning skills.
  • Curiosity about people and places — the best local plans come from actually understanding a market.
  • Bachelor's degree.
This assignment is anticipated to run from August 4, 2026, through December 23, 2026. While this position is intended to be temporary,  there may be opportunities for continued employment should future positions become available and organizational needs align. 

Flexible work from home options available.