Travel Agents
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.
Also called: Auto Travel Counselor · Beach Expert · Corporate Travel Consultant · Destination Specialist · International Travel Consultant · Tour Coordinator
Median pay (national)
$48,450
$33,280–$74,160 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
59,150
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+2.2%
~7,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for travel agents shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $74,160 versus $33,280 at the bottom 10% — 2.2x. The median of $48,450 leaves roughly 53% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +2.2% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 7,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $63,770, +32% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $22,450 — a 184% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Amadeus CRS, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Provide customer with brochures and publications containing travel information, such as local customs, points of interest, or foreign country regulations.
- 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.
Tools & technology
- Amadeus CRS
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Sabre Central Command
- Intuit QuickBooks
- SAP Concur
- Zoom
- 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
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Sales and Marketing
- Geography
- Computers and Electronics
- Administrative
- Telecommunications
- Transportation