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.
Travel Agent Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Travel Agents earn a median of $50,160 per year ($24.11/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 2.2% through 2034, with about 7,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 41-3041Sales and RelatedLast updated August 23, 2026
- Median pay
- $50,160
- Projected growth
- +2.2%
- Openings a year
- 7,100
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Auto Travel Counselor, Beach Expert, Corporate Travel Consultant, Destination Specialist, International Travel Consultant, Tour Coordinator.
How much do Travel Agents make?
10th percentile$34,610
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$41,950
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$50,160
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$63,060
Upper quartile
90th percentile$76,660
Top-paid tenth
| 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 $51,495, this is 3% 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 29% of the 923 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.
Which states pay Travel Agents the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $63,400 | $63,413 | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $61,560 | $56,014 | 160 |
| Montana | $61,330 | $64,800 | 200 |
| New Jersey | $61,090 | $56,146 | 1,660 |
| Connecticut | $60,640 | $58,527 | 650 |
| Vermont | $60,560 | $61,822 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | $59,790 | $58,457 | 250 |
| Oregon | $56,810 | $54,963 | 620 |
| Utah | $56,670 | $57,321 | 440 |
| Colorado | $56,570 | $54,895 | 1,100 |
Is Travel Agent a growing career?
Travel Agents2.2%
All US occupations3.1%
+2.2% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Travel Agents to change 2.2% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 1,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,100 openings are projected each year, 10.8% of the 65,700 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Despite limited employment growth, about 7,100 openings for travel agents are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most 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.
Demand is projected to grow gradually for travel agents’ expertise in recommending options to clients seeking personalized travel experiences. People are expected to continue relying on travel agents for their advice on popular or unique destinations and for their ability to handle travel issues.
However, the ability of travelers to use online resources to research vacations and book their own trips may limit demand for travel agents.
How to become a Travel Agent
A high school diploma typically is required to become a travel agent. However, employers may prefer to hire candidates who have sales experience or relevant certification or education. Communication and customer service skills are essential.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-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 travel agents.
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)37.3%
- High School Diploma30.8%
- Bachelor's Degree14.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate11.5%
- Some College Courses6.1%
What does a Travel Agent do?
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.
Travel agents sell transportation, lodging, and admission to entertainment activities to individuals and groups planning trips. They offer advice on destinations, plan trip itineraries, and make travel arrangements for clients.
Day-to-day tasks
- Record and maintain information on clients, vendors, and travel packages.
- Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs.
- Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
- Print or request transportation carrier tickets, using computer printer system or system link to travel carrier.
- Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.
- Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
- Book transportation and hotel reservations, using computer or telephone.
- Provide customer with brochures and publications containing travel information, such as local customs, points of interest, or foreign country regulations.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most travel agents work full time, although part-time work is common. Some work additional hours during peak travel times or when they must accommodate clients’ schedule changes and last-minute needs.
Where the work happens
- Almost never works outdoors
Physical demands
- Seated for more than half the working day
Working with people
- Dealing with customers or the public is very important
Autonomy
- A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey, showing only the signals people in the job report decisively one way or the other.
Where travel agents work
| Travel arrangement and reservation services | 71% |
|---|---|
| Self-employed workers | 11% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.1/5
- Reading Comprehension4.0/5
- Speaking4.0/5
- Writing3.1/5
- Critical Thinking3.1/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Mathematics2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Service Orientation4.1/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.8/5
- Persuasion3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4/5
- Coordination3.1/5
- Negotiation3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
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.
What personality type suits a Travel Agent?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.1
Investigative1.5
Artistic1.9
Socialprimary4.3
Enterprisingprimary5.8
Conventionalprimary5.8
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
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.
Travel Agent: frequently asked questions
How much do Travel Agents make?
Travel Agents earn a median of $50,160 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.11/hr. The middle half earn between $41,950 and $63,060. The top 10% earn $76,660 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Travel Agent?
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 Travel Agent a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 2.2% over 2024–2034, about the same as the 3.1% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 7,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Travel Agent do?
Travel agents sell transportation, lodging, and admission to entertainment activities to individuals and groups planning trips. A core O*NET task: record and maintain information on clients, vendors, and travel packages. 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 Travel Agent?
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 923 occupations in the bank.