Travel Agents Career, Salary and Skills
Travel Agents have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $50,160 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 55,110. Wage data is published for 175 locations.
Occupation description
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.
O*NET code
41-3041.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree
Experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$50,160
Hourly median
$24.11
Employment
55,110
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Active Listening | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Speaking | 4.00 | 3.12 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.12 |
| Persuasion | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.75 |
| Coordination | 3.12 | 2.88 |
| Active Learning | 3.12 | 3.12 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
Technology
- Amadeus CRS
- Apollo Reservation System
- Colibripms Software Colibri
- DataSwell
- Galor Travel Booster
- Global distribution system GDS software
- Globekey Agentkey
- Illusions Online Illusions OnDemand
- IMS Travel Agent Reservation Software System
- Intuit QuickBooks
- MGHworld Travel Agents
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
Travel Agents salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Travel Agents Salary in FLMedian $50,060 · Employment 9,430
- Travel Agents Salary in CAMedian $51,030 · Employment 4,760
- Travel Agents Salary in Miami, FLMedian $50,720 · Employment 4,560
- Travel Agents Salary in TXMedian $49,500 · Employment 4,310
- Travel Agents Salary in New York, NYMedian $58,430 · Employment 3,610
- Travel Agents Salary in NYMedian $55,580 · Employment 3,180
- Travel Agents Salary in GAMedian $48,880 · Employment 2,300
- Travel Agents Salary in Orlando, FLMedian $48,680 · Employment 2,190
- Travel Agents Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $50,440 · Employment 2,160
- Travel Agents Salary in ILMedian $49,090 · Employment 2,120
- Travel Agents Salary in MAMedian $56,450 · Employment 1,810
- Travel Agents Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $49,160 · Employment 1,740
Related careers
- Telephone OperatorsNational median $41,740
- Real Estate Sales AgentsNational median $52,830
- Customs BrokersNational median $80,730
- Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News and Street Vendors, and Related WorkersNational median $41,380
- Hotel, Motel, and Resort Desk ClerksNational median $35,070
- Meeting, Convention, and Event PlannersNational median $61,160
- Cargo and Freight AgentsNational median $52,260
- Advertising Sales AgentsNational median $64,820
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.