Designs custom high-end trips for affluent clients, booking luxury hotels, private tours, cruises, and villas and handling every detail. BLS does not publish separate figures for travel agents; it counts them within travel agent (SOC 41-3041), whose median pay is $50,160 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 41-3041
- Sales and Related
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Luxury Travel Advisor in four numbers
- Median pay
- $50,160a year, or $24.11/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $77K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,90061,500 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202561.5K
- Projected 203561.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 61.5K Projected 2035 61.7K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school30.8%
- Certificate11.5%
- Some college6.1%
- Associate's37.3%
- Bachelor's14.4%
Highest education held by travel agents Segment Value High school 30.8% Certificate 11.5% Some college 6.1% Associate's 37.3% Bachelor's 14.4%
Also advertised as: Luxury Travel Consultant, Luxury Travel Designer, Travel Advisor, Independent Travel Advisor, Luxury Travel Specialist.
Pay
How much do Travel Agents make?
Every luxury travel advisor in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$50,160
Middle half earn $41,950 to $63,060
- 10th
- $34,610
- 25th
- $41,950
- 75th
- $63,060
- 90th
- $76,660
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $34,610 |
| 25th | $41,950 |
| Median | $50,160 |
| 75th | $63,060 |
| 90th | $76,660 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $50,160
- Median hourly wage
- $24.11/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $54,660
- People employed
- 55,110
Versus all US occupations
At $50,160, the median for Travel Agents sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus sales and related occupations
Inside the Sales and Related group, where the middle occupation pays $73,220, this is 31% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $76,660 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,610, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 22% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Nevada posts the highest raw median ($63,400), but once local prices are taken into account Montana leads at $64,800 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Travel Agents the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Nevada | $63,400 | $63,413 | N/A |
| 2District of Columbia | $61,560 | $56,014 | 160 |
| 3Montana | $61,330 | $64,800 | 200 |
| 4New Jersey | $61,090 | $56,146 | 1,660 |
| 5Connecticut | $60,640 | $58,527 | 650 |
| 6Vermont | $60,560 | $61,822 | 120 |
| 7Rhode Island | $59,790 | $58,457 | 250 |
| 8Oregon | $56,810 | $54,963 | 620 |
| 9Utah | $56,670 | $57,321 | 440 |
| 10Colorado | $56,570 | $54,895 | 1,100 |
Job outlook
Is Luxury Travel Advisor a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Travel Agents | +0.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Travel Agents to change 0.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,900 openings are projected each year, 9.6% of the 61,500 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Luxury Travel Advisor
No degree is required. Many advisors join a host agency or a consortium such as Virtuoso, which give access to preferred hotel and supplier programs, training, and booking tools. The Travel Institute offers credentials including Certified Travel Associate (CTA) and Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), and the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) provides education and professional standards.
New advisors often start under a mentor or as an assistant at an established agency, take supplier training and familiarization trips, and grow a book of clients through referrals and a clear niche.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as travel agents.
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree37.3%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)30.8%
- Bachelor's Degree14.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate11.5%
- Some College Courses6.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 37.3% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 30.8% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 14.4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 11.5% |
| Some College Courses | 6.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Luxury Travel Advisor do?
A luxury travel advisor plans tailored trips for clients who want a personal, high-touch experience. They interview clients about tastes and goals, then build itineraries with the right hotels, suites, private guides, restaurants, transfers, and experiences. Many specialize in a region, honeymoons, safaris, or luxury cruises.
Advisors use relationships with hotels and tour operators to secure upgrades, amenities, and access that clients could not get on their own. They manage payments and documents, monitor travel in progress, and fix problems such as missed connections. Most of their income comes from commissions and planning fees, so building a loyal client base is central to the job.
Day-to-day tasks
- Interview clients to understand travel style, budget, and goals
- Design custom itineraries with luxury hotels, guides, and experiences
- Book and confirm hotels, cruises, flights, and transfers
- Secure upgrades and amenities through supplier relationships
- Manage deposits, payments, and travel documents
- Monitor client trips and fix problems in real time
- Attend supplier training and inspect hotels on familiarization trips
- Market services and build a referral-based client base
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Many luxury travel advisors work from home or a small agency office, and remote work is common. Clients expect quick responses, so evenings and weekends can involve calls or messages during trips. Advisors travel several times a year to inspect hotels and destinations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Writing3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Mathematics2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation4.1
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Persuasion3.6
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Coordination3.1
- Negotiation3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.0
- Time Management3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 4.1 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Persuasion | 3.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Coordination | 3.1 |
| Negotiation | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Customer relationship management CRM software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Luxury Travel Advisor?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ESC) built on O*NET's Travel Agent profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Luxury Travel Advisor |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 1 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 5 |
| Enterprising | 6 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising5.8
- Conventional5.8
- Social4.6
- Artistic1.9
- Investigative1.5
- Realistic1.1
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Luxury Travel Advisor
O*NET related occupations
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Most earn $32K to $78K
+2.5%High school - Personal Care and Service
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Sales Representative of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
$69,990median a year
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More sales and related careers
Median annual pay, with travel agents highlighted
- Sales Engineer$124,900
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product$104,920
- Real Estate Broker$73,220
- Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products$72,080
- Insurance Sales Agent$62,280
- Real Estate Agent$52,830
- Travel Agent$50,160
- Luxury Travel Advisor$50,160
- Cashier$32,880
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Sales Engineer | $124,900 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Product | $104,920 |
| Real Estate Broker | $73,220 |
| Sales Representative, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $72,080 |
| Insurance Sales Agent | $62,280 |
| Real Estate Agent | $52,830 |
| Travel Agent | $50,160 |
| Luxury Travel Advisor | $50,160 |
| Cashier | $32,880 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Luxury Travel Advisor appears on
Questions
Luxury Travel Advisor: frequently asked questions
How much do Travel Agents make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for travel agents. It counts them within travel agent, whose median pay is $50,160 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $41,950 and $63,060, and the top 10% earn $76,660 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Luxury Travel Advisor?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Travel Agents. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 37.3% hold associate's degree or other 2-year degree.
Is Luxury Travel Advisor a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Luxury Travel Advisor do?
A luxury travel advisor plans tailored trips for clients who want a personal, high-touch experience. A typical task: interview clients to understand travel style, budget, and goals. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Travel Agents the most?
The highest state medians for Travel Agents are Nevada ($63,400), District of Columbia ($61,560), Montana ($61,330) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Montana moves to the top at $64,800.
What personality type suits a Luxury Travel Advisor?
O*NET scores Travel Agents highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Social interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESFJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.