What kind of Media Buyers are affiliate companies looking for right now: AFFHUB analytics

What kind of experience does a Media Buyer need today to catch an employer’s attention? Is it enough to be well-versed in Facebook Ads? How important is a specific vertical, and what exactly do companies want to see in your case studies?

One company needs a Facebook specialist in iGaming/gambling, while another needs someone with TikTok experience in the nutra sector. And some are willing to consider your experience in a different vertical—but only if you can demonstrate results and clearly explain how you achieved them.

To answer these questions not only from a recruiter’s perspective but also based on real market demands, we analyzed current Media Buyer job postings in the iGaming, nutra, dating, and crypto sectors.1

How we analyzed the job postings?

For this article, we compiled a concise sample of 14 current Media Buyer and Assistant Media Buyer job postings. For our search, we used the AFFHUB infrastructure (AFFHUB MEDIA, AFFHUB Job), PALAI MEDIA, robota.ua, work.ua, DOU, and specialized Telegram channels and chats featuring job openings in the affiliate niche. Duplicate postings listed simultaneously on multiple platforms were counted only once. Important: These are not statistics for the entire market, but rather a small snapshot of open job postings. A significant portion of hiring in the affiliate niche occurs through referrals, personal contacts, Telegram channels, and professional events, so not all positions are publicly advertised.

Key takeaways?

Facebook remains the primary source of traffic

Facebook or Meta Ads are mentioned in 13 out of 14 analyzed job postings. In some cases, it’s the sole source of traffic; in others, it’s combined with TikTok, Google, or native advertising. But the overall picture is clear: for Facebook advertisers, the selection of open positions is currently the largest.

At the same time, employers aren’t just looking for someone who has run ads before. Job postings regularly mention scaling campaigns, navigating moderation, and working with accounts, trackers, anti-detection tools, and analytics.

Some companies specifically check when you last worked with the platform. For example, Hantix requires recent experience with Facebook Ads from the past three months. In other job postings, employers also directly ask about the date of the last campaign launch.

And this makes sense: in media buying, experience from two years ago without recent hands-on practice may no longer be as relevant.

We saw TikTok mentioned in 4 job postings and Google in 3. Alternative platforms exist, but Facebook firmly holds the top spot for now.

iGaming is the most common sector in open job postings

Of the 14 job postings analyzed, 10 specified the iGaming sector. Nutra appeared in 5, while dating and crypto each appeared in 2 postings. Some positions cover multiple verticals, so the numbers may overlap.

Does this mean that almost the entire affiliate market is iGaming? No. It simply means that, in our sample, this is the sector for which Media Buyers are most frequently sought in open job postings.

Experience in the relevant vertical remains a strong selling point. For example, some companies are looking for someone with Facebook experience in nutra, while others are looking for experience in gambling, dating, or adult-nutra. We see such requirements, in particular, in job postings from BGTeam and Insiders.

For the company, this reduces risks: you’re already familiar with the audience, the funnel logic, the specifics of the offers, creative approaches, and the limitations of the ad source.

But a different vertical isn’t always a deal-breaker. If you know your source well, can break down your campaigns step by step, and demonstrate results, the transition is entirely feasible.

“Two years of experience” isn’t enough on its own

Twelve out of 14 job postings require prior hands-on experience. But the number of years alone doesn’t tell the whole story.

Employers want to see specifics:

• which sources and verticals you’ve worked with;
• which GEOs you’ve run campaigns in;
• what budgets you’ve managed;
• when you last actively ran campaigns;
• what results you achieved;
• what exactly was in your area of responsibility;
• whether you can independently test and scale campaigns.

Some job postings ask for case studies with a positive ROI, while others require experience managing budgets of $1,000 per day or $50,000 per month. In other words, employers look not only at the length of your experience but also at its relevance, scale, and results.

In conclusion: simply listing “two years of experience as a Media Buyer” doesn’t sell your experience. It’s much more important to explain what you did during those two years and what results you can demonstrate.

“Junior” Doesn’t Always Mean Starting from Scratch

Only two positions in our sample appear to be genuine entry-level roles. For these, a basic understanding of Facebook Ads, key metrics, and how the ad manager works is sufficient. But such positions are few and far between.

Moreover, having “Junior” in the title doesn’t guarantee that the company is willing to train you from scratch. For example, in the Junior Media Buyer position at Nutrinity, the candidate must already have experience launching campaigns, understand advertising networks, and know how to work with trackers and anti-detection tools.

Therefore, after completing your training or taking your first steps in this field, you should prepare at least a training case study or your own test campaign, or look to get started by applying for an assistant position. No one expects you to handle large budgets, but you need to demonstrate that you already understand how the system works and can draw conclusions from the data.

How to present your experience to an employer?

In short: traffic sources help you pass the initial screening, experience in the relevant vertical builds credibility, and concrete results are your strongest selling point.

Therefore, when you apply for a job or tell a recruiter about yourself, it’s important to clearly specify:

• traffic sources;
• industries and geographic regions;
• budget sizes;
• key metrics and results;
• tools you’ve worked with;
• the timeframe of your most recent active campaigns.

If an NDA prevents you from naming the company, the offer, or exact figures, you can still describe the case without disclosing confidential information. It’s important for a recruiter to see the logic behind your work, your level of responsibility, and exactly how you influenced the outcome.

The affiliate marketing industry doesn’t really appreciate vague phrasing. The phrase “launched and scaled ad campaigns” explains almost nothing. But a clear case study that includes the source, vertical, GEO, budget, your actions, and the results provides a solid foundation for a substantive conversation.

And if you want to understand how your experience looks to an employer, submit a request for a free career consultation with AffHub Talent.