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Travel Agents: Career Profile
Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. Determine destination, modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. May also describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. May assist in resolving clients' travel problems.
What Tasks Do Travel Agents Perform?
The core tasks performed by travel agents cover:
- Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
- Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
- Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.
- Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs.
- Record and maintain information on clients, vendors, and travel packages.
- Book transportation and hotel reservations, using computer or telephone.
- Print or request transportation carrier tickets, using computer printer system or system link to travel carrier.
- Provide customer with brochures and publications containing travel information, such as local customs, points of interest, or foreign country regulations.
What Travel Agents Need to Know
Effective travel agents rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Travel Agents Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Auto Travel Counselor
- Beach Expert
- Booking Agent
- Business Travel Consultant
- Certified Travel Counselor
- Corporate Travel Agent
- Corporate Travel Consultant
- Corporate Travel Counselor
Job Outlook
There are roughly 960,217 travel agents working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -3.5% over the projection horizon.
Travel Agents Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $65,314 |
| Hourly median | $31.40 |
| 10th percentile | $42,392 |
| 25th percentile | $53,853 |
| 75th percentile | $76,775 |
| 90th percentile | $88,236 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Travel Agents Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $63,770 |
| Washington | $62,620 |
| Wyoming | $61,500 |
| Connecticut | $61,180 |
| Nevada | $60,630 |
| New Jersey | $59,640 |
| Alaska | $57,490 |
| Colorado | $56,370 |
| Massachusetts | $54,200 |
| Montana | $53,540 |
| Texas | $51,110 |
| Vermont | $50,960 |
| New York | $50,200 |
| Oregon | $49,690 |
| Arizona | $49,260 |
| Tennessee | $48,990 |
| New Hampshire | $48,680 |
| Idaho | $48,660 |
| Alabama | $48,650 |
| California | $48,540 |
| North Carolina | $48,390 |
| Nebraska | $48,010 |
| Minnesota | $47,900 |
| Kentucky | $47,850 |
| Florida | $47,780 |
| Illinois | $47,660 |
| Kansas | $47,390 |
| Wisconsin | $47,020 |
| North Dakota | $47,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,910 |
| Indiana | $46,860 |
| South Carolina | $46,810 |
| Michigan | $46,710 |
| South Dakota | $46,610 |
| Rhode Island | $45,810 |
| Georgia | $45,790 |
| Louisiana | $45,720 |
| Iowa | $44,970 |
| Ohio | $44,750 |
| Maryland | $44,660 |
| Missouri | $44,290 |
| Utah | $41,040 |
| Maine | $37,950 |
| Virginia | $37,860 |
| West Virginia | $35,710 |
| New Mexico | $35,250 |
| Arkansas | $34,980 |
| Oklahoma | $34,850 |
| Guam | $33,870 |
| Hawaii | $32,090 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,450 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for travel agents shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $53,932 | 5.0% | 1.13 |
| Far Western US | $53,170 | 19.2% | 1.69 |
| Rocky Mountains | $52,196 | 3.8% | 1.00 |
| Middle Atlantic | $50,065 | 12.3% | 0.81 |
| Southwest | $48,502 | 11.5% | 1.03 |
| Great Lakes | $46,889 | 11.5% | 0.91 |
| Southeast | $46,283 | 29.1% | 1.81 |
| Plains States | $45,813 | 6.7% | 1.18 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $66,190 | 3,690 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $63,670 | 40 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | CT | $62,600 | 40 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $61,530 | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $61,140 | 230 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | CT | $60,640 | 130 |
| Bozeman, MT | MT | $60,200 | 50 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | TX | $58,800 | 320 |
Which Industries Hire Travel Agents
The bulk of travel agents are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 47,620 | $48,080 |
| Finance and Insurance | 1,910 | $54,240 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,830 | $38,550 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 1,110 | $49,190 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,050 | $40,180 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 780 | $59,740 |
Below are examples of industries where travel agents work:
Software Travel Agents Use
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Accounting software: SAP Concur (hot technology)
- Video conferencing software: Zoom (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amadeus CRS (in demand)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Sabre Central Command (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of travel agents is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Spend Time Sitting
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Contact With Others
How to Become Travel Agents
Typical travel agents positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Customs Brokers (Supplemental)
- Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners (Supplemental)
- Concierges (Primary-Long)
- Tour Guides and Escorts (Primary-Long)
- Travel Guides (Primary-Short)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Primary-Short)
- Retail Salespersons (Primary-Long)
- Advertising Sales Agents (Supplemental)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 41-3041.00 (Travel Agents).
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