Our directory of media buying agencies in the US is evaluated using five core ranking criteria and reviewed by a team of 12 industry experts, backed by more than 480 verified client reviews. This methodology provides a clear, credible way to identify the right media buying partner.
United States ×
We Know Media Buying Inside and Out
Sloane Media, established in 2012, leverages over 20 years of experience in media sales to deliver value-driven campaigns and strategic market share growth. The agency emphasizes accountability and integrity while negotiating the best media investments and building revenue-focused advertising strategies. [... view Sloane Media profile ]Top Services:
- Media Buying
- Location
- Hollywood, Florida
- Number of Employees
- Under 49
- Minimal Budget
- $1,000 - $10,000
Our Reputation Precedes Us
Geeks & Nomads specializes in creating dynamic web and mobile experiences that captivate users. Our team of experts brings AI & Blockchain technologies to life with custom software development and innovative UI/UX designs. Let us help power your next project. [... view Geeks & Nomads profile ]Top Services:
- Media Buying
- Location
- Boston, Massachusetts
- Number of Employees
- 100 - 249
- Average Hourly Rate
- $25/hr
Your Transformative Demand Generation Partner.
Grow your marketing funnel via data-driven media intervention with YOptima. We combine machine learning with human intelligence to discover unique audience insights and optimize results across the marketing funnel. We leverage the power of programmatic media to help brands expand their targeted reach and [... view YOptima profile ]Top Services:
- Media Buying
- Location
- Owatonna, Minnesota
- Number of Employees
- Under 49
- Minimal Budget
- $1,000 - $10,000
Clicks Fade Brands Endure
Left Hand Agency is a strategic CPG media planning and buying agency. We help CPG and retail marketers strike the right balance between performance and brand advertising. [... view Left Hand Agency profile ]Top Services:
- Media Buying
- Location
- Oregon City, Oregon
- Number of Employees
- Under 49
When You've Outgrown "Good Enough"
EGC Group is the all-in performance marketing agency for brands that have outgrown good enough. We blend media, search, social, creative and Performance PR with deep vertical expertise to help ambitious brands get noticed, get chosen and turn interest into action. [... view EGC Group profile ]- Location
- Melville, New York
- Number of Employees
- 50 - 99
- Average Hourly Rate
- $145/hr
- Minimal Budget
- $10,000 - $25,000
Lets Bring Your Story To Life.
Our dream team video production crew are award-winning seasoned pros. Once weve produced your commercial we zip code target using research demographics, contextual signals, and streaming preferences to triangulate and build our clients audiences. [... view Rock Advertising profile ]- Location
- Derry, New Hampshire
- Number of Employees
- Under 49
- Average Hourly Rate
- $150/hr
- Minimal Budget
- $10,000 - $25,000
Hiring Guide: How to Choose a Leading Media Buying Agencies in the US
What should I look for in a company’s track record or case studies?
As programmatically sold advertising is projected to reach over $400 billion in the US by 2026, evaluating a company’s track record requires a sharper focus on scale, sophistication, and measurable impact.
Case studies should go beyond isolated wins and demonstrate repeatable performance across channels, budgets, and market conditions.
- Quantified results such as ROAS, CPA reduction, revenue lift, or pipeline impact, with specific numbers
- Channel and media mix clarity, including how platforms were selected and sequenced
- Creative and testing strategy, showing how messaging, formats, or audiences were iterated to improve performance
- Scalability evidence, proving results held or improved as spend increased
- Attribution and measurement approach, explaining how success was tracked and validated
- Industry or use-case relevance, especially experience with similar budgets, markets, or buying models
Can a media buying agency manage both creative and media, or do I need additional vendors?
With 50% of connected TV advertising budgets expected to be transacted programmatically in 2025, the line between creative and media execution continues to blur, especially as campaigns increasingly combine CTV, digital, and traditional channels.
Traditional media continues to play a major role in large-scale reach, with more than 125 million TV households in the US and radio reaching 85.6% of American men over 55 each week. As a result, creative alignment becomes especially critical when managing campaigns that span linear TV, CTV, and digital platforms.
Many full-service media buying agencies now manage both creative and media to support this convergence, handling everything from ad development to placement, optimization, and performance measurement.
Others specialize strictly in media execution, requiring brands to bring creative in-house or work with additional vendors. The right model depends on how integrated and fast-moving the campaign needs to be, but as programmatic CTV scales, tighter creative-media coordination is increasingly a competitive advantage.
How do you choose the best agency in the United States for your goals?
1. Define your objectives
Clarify the business outcomes you want from paid media campaigns. Identify target audiences, key channels, budget ranges, timelines, and any internal constraints or dependencies.
2. Shortlist candidates
Identify 3 to 5 agencies with proven experience in your industry and media channels that match your objectives. Review case studies, client rosters, campaign outcomes, and awards to assess past performance.
3. Assess reputation and client feedback
Check independent review platforms, client testimonials, and references to evaluate reliability, service quality, and the ability to meet deadlines, KPIs, and budget commitments. Look for evidence of transparent media reporting and optimization practices.
4. Send a request for proposal (RFP)
Provide a detailed brief including campaign goals, target audiences, deliverables, reporting expectations, and timelines. A clear RFP ensures you receive comparable, actionable proposals from shortlisted agencies.
5. Conduct discovery and capability sessions
Meet with the shortlisted agencies to discuss their media buying approach, targeting strategies, creative-testing processes, programmatic or CTV capabilities, attribution frameworks, and collaboration model. This helps gauge their strategic fit and operational expertise.
6. Select an agency partner
Choose the agency that demonstrates strong strategic alignment, relevant experience, contemporary practices, and the ability to optimize campaigns as your business and market evolve. Ensure they can provide both performance-driven insights and transparent reporting.
If you need help finding a US media buying agency for your brand, visit our Marketplace and send us your project scope. We’ll match you with five providers that best match your criteria for free.
How can you find the best agency on DesignRush that fits your budget and campaign scope?
We’ve curated a list of top media buying agencies on DesignRush across multiple price points, making it easier to find a partner that fits your budget.
| High budget: $50,000+ |
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| Low budget: $25,000-$50,000 |
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Beyond cost, our agency directory lets you filter by location, industry, client type, verified reviews, team size, and hourly rates, so you can quickly narrow down the agencies best aligned with your needs.
What questions should you ask before hiring a media buying agency in the United States?
Before hiring a company, we recommend asking the following questions to assess expertise, transparency, and campaign fit:
Relevant Background
- What are the most successful media buying campaigns you’ve executed recently? Can you walk us through the brief, targeting strategy, and results?
- Which media channels are your strongest competencies? Is it Meta, TikTok, Google, YouTube, CTV, or programmatic?
- In which industries do you have the deepest experience (e.g., DTC, fintech, sports tech, B2B)
- How do you stay informed about shifting CPMs, algorithm changes, and attribution trends?
Services and Processes
- What is your process for media planning and budget allocation across channels?
- What tools and platforms power your buying (DSPs, attribution tools, analytics dashboards)?
- What does reporting look like: frequency, depth, KPIs, and transparency of media costs?
- How do you handle programmatic fees, platform markups, and pass-through costs?
Related to Your Project
- Based on our goals, what risks or constraints should we be aware of (budget levels, creative volume, data quality, timeline)?
- How many team members will work on our account, and what is their experience with similar media budgets?
- How will you measure and attribute ROI, especially across cross-channel or CTV campaigns?
- What level of involvement is required from our internal team during the engagement?
Why People Trust DesignRush
Rated 4.8 on Google and 4.7 on Trustpilot, DesignRush Agency Directory is a reliable resource for finding media buying agencies in US. We owe this to our executive selection team, which follows a strict screening process when featuring agencies on the platform, assessing key performance indicators, like portfolio, client reviews, and industry reputation.
Learn more about DesignRush Agency Ranking Methodology.
Sources
DesignRush sustains a directory of over 40,000 agencies categorized by service category, location, expertise, and reviews. We build our database in two ways:
- Our dedicated team of agency experts actively searches the web for top-performing companies. We then pull information from their websites, online presence, and client testimonials to verify their status and qualifications prior to listing.
- The agencies listed get notified of their profiles on the website and they can choose to claim it or not, which suggests their availability for more collaborations.
Agencies can also reach out to DesignRush and must go through the verification process prior to being listed.
Media Buying Agency FAQs
What services do media buying agencies in the United States provide?
These types of agencies help brands with:
- Performance-focused digital campaigns: High-demand campaigns across Meta, TikTok, YouTube, Search, and CTV, prioritizing short-form video and measurable, creative-led performance.
- Full-funnel paid media tied to creative-led campaigns: Roughly 60% to 70% of clients bundle creative and media for faster cycles, fewer handoffs, and performance-built creative.
- Programmatic and CTV packages: Growing rapidly, with challenger brands investing $15K to $150K per month for scalable reach, automated targeting, and measurable lift.
- Paid social advertising: Cross-platform campaigns delivering 1% to 2% average conversion rates, with top performers exceeding 3% on Meta and TikTok.
- Audience & competitive analysis: Audience research and competitor benchmarking to guide budget allocation and identify the highest-ROI channels.
- Analytics & performance reporting: Real-time KPI tracking, A/B testing, and optimization across impressions, CPM, CTR, conversions, ROAS, and attribution paths.
How much do media buying services in the US cost?
Most media buying agencies charge between $100 and $150 per hour. They rely on a mix of retainers, spend-based fees, and setup costs, depending on scope and complexity.
These numbers are based on industry research and expert insights from Colormatics:
| Fee Type | Typical Cost Range | Notes |
| Monthly retainer | $1,500 to $10,000 | Based on complexity and channel mix |
| % of media spend | 10% to 20% | Scales with spend and performance scope |
| One-time setup fee | $1,500 to $3,000 | Tracking, pixels, dashboards, QA |
| Hourly rate | $100 to $150+ | Specialized strategy or audits |
Beyond agency fees, overall campaign budgets vary significantly based on scale, channels, and timelines. The table below outlines common budget ranges for different types of media buying engagements.
| Campaign Type | Budget Range | Typical Scope |
| Pilot campaigns | ~$25,000 | 1 to 2 platforms, short run |
| Integrated campaigns | $50,000 to $300,000 | Multi-channel, performance tracking |
| Large/national campaigns | Up to $500,000 | 12 to 24 weeks, heavy media mix |
When can clients expect ROI from paid media campaigns?
ROI timelines vary by channel based on learning cycles, inventory dynamics, and optimization requirements. This table outlines when early performance signals usually appear and when results tend to stabilize.
| Channel | Early Signals | Stable Performance |
| Paid social | 7 to 21 days | 30 to 45 days |
| Google Search | 3 to 10 days (with volume) | 8 to 12 weeks |
| YouTube | 5 to 10 days | 3 to 4 weeks |
| CTV/Programmatic | 4 to 8 weeks | 10 to 12 weeks |
What are the typical timelines for media buying projects from planning to launch?
Project timelines depend on campaign scale, creative complexity, and channel mix. These are typical expectations from strategy and setup through launch and ongoing optimization.
| Campaign Size | Planning & Setup | Build & QA | Optimization Cadence | Total Timeline |
| Small-scale | 1 to 2 weeks | 3 to 5 days | Weekly | 4 to 8 weeks |
| Mid-size | 2 to 3 weeks | 1 week | 2-3× weekly | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Large/Multi-channel | 3 to 5 weeks | 1 to 2 weeks | Daily | 12 weeks to 6 months |
What KPIs should your business track when working with these agencies?
When working with a media buying agency in the US, KPIs should be selected to reflect both media efficiency and business impact, ensuring performance is measured beyond surface-level engagement.
Key KPIs to monitor include:
- Impressions, reach, frequency, and CPM to assess delivery efficiency and audience exposure
- Click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), engagement rate, and video completion rate to evaluate creative and audience relevance
- Conversion rate, cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), and customer acquisition cost (CAC) to measure profitability and scalability
- Attribution coverage, assisted conversions, and incrementality to understand paid media’s true contribution across channels
- Budget pacing, spend utilization, and testing velocity to gauge operational discipline and optimization effectiveness
About The Author and Expert Reviewer
Jelena Relić has hundreds of top-ranking articles and a lifestyle & culture magazine she calls The MAN. She gained valuable content and SEO experience working at Digital Circle and Neil Sahota, which she now uses to deliver top-quality B2B content at DesignRush, particularly in the creative industry.
Mariana Delgado is the Head of Marketing at DesignRush, with more than ten years of experience across digital marketing, sales management, search, and video advertising. Since joining DesignRush, she has delivered 3× site-traffic growth and 2× growth in monthly revenue by building scalable, performance-led programs that connect acquisition, content, and brand across channels. Her campaigns have achieved a 5:1 ROAS.