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.
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks is $44,390 a year ($21.34/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 2.8% through 2034, with about 14,400 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 43-4181Office and Administrative SupportLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $44,390
- Projected growth
- +2.8%
- Openings a year
- 14,400
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Airline Ticket Agent, Airport Sales Agent, Customer Service Agent, Reservation Agent, Reservationist, Reservations Agent.
How much do Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks make?
10th percentile$32,140
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$37,850
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$44,390
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$59,640
Upper quartile
90th percentile$78,150
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $44,390 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $21.34/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $49,630 |
| People employed | 118,710 |
Versus all US occupations
At $44,390, Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks earn 13% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,590 a year.
Versus office and administrative support occupations
Inside the Office and Administrative Support group, where the middle occupation pays $48,500, this is 8% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $78,150 or more while the bottom 10% earn $32,140, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 16% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Michigan pays the most at $60,220, and still leads at $62,588 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | $60,220 | $62,588 | 1,980 |
| Minnesota | $60,090 | $60,930 | 2,160 |
| California | $49,420 | $44,635 | 10,580 |
| Washington | $48,520 | $45,340 | 2,970 |
| Georgia | $47,860 | $49,702 | 5,880 |
| Illinois | $47,850 | $47,870 | 7,080 |
| New Mexico | $47,850 | $51,891 | 600 |
| Oklahoma | $47,340 | $53,892 | 920 |
| District of Columbia | $46,550 | $42,356 | 100 |
| Colorado | $45,960 | $44,599 | 3,650 |
Is Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk a growing career?
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks2.8%
All US occupations3.1%
+2.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks to change 2.8% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 3,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,400 openings are projected each year, 10.9% of the 131,900 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of information clerks is projected to grow 3 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of information clerks varies by occupation (see table).
The increased use of online ordering and self-service systems will limit demand for some of these workers, such as order clerks and human resources assistants.
How to become a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk
Information clerks typically need a high school diploma and learn their skills on the job.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks.
- High School Diploma75.2%
- Some College Courses12.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma9.3%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)2.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate0.6%
What does a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk do?
Make and confirm reservations for transportation or lodging, or sell transportation tickets. May check baggage and direct passengers to designated concourse, pier, or track; deliver tickets and contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours; or provide tourists with travel or transportation information.
Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Answer inquiries regarding information, such as schedules, accommodations, procedures, or policies.
- Confer with customers to determine their service requirements and travel preferences.
- Determine whether space is available on travel dates requested by customers, assigning requested spaces when available.
- Announce arrival and departure information, using public address systems.
- Provide boarding or disembarking assistance to passengers needing special assistance.
- Examine passenger documentation to determine destinations and to assign boarding passes.
- Assemble and issue required documentation, such as tickets, travel insurance policies, or itineraries.
- Check baggage and cargo and direct passengers to designated locations for loading.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.5/5
- Critical Thinking3.4/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Active Learning3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Mathematics2.6/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation4.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.6/5
- Persuasion3.3/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Negotiation2.9/5
Tools and software
- 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
- Word processing software · in demand
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Financial analysis software
- Internet browser software
- Point of sale POS software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic2.1
Investigative1.0
Artistic1.3
Socialprimary4.4
Enterprisingprimary4.1
Conventionalprimary5.5
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with teaching, helping and working directly with other people.
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.
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk: frequently asked questions
How much do Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks make?
Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks earn a median of $44,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 13% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $21.34/hr. The middle half earn between $37,850 and $59,640. The top 10% earn $78,150 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 75.2% hold high school diploma.
Is Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.8% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,400 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk do?
Information clerks do routine clerical tasks such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers. A core O*NET task: answer inquiries regarding information, such as schedules, accommodations, procedures, or policies. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks the most?
The highest state medians for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks are Michigan ($60,220), Minnesota ($60,090), California ($49,420) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agent and Travel Clerk?
O*NET scores Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks highest on the Conventional, Social and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with teaching, helping and working directly with other people. 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 923 occupations in the bank.