Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$56,500
National baseline
Target bonus
$5,000
9.1% of base
Total target cash
$61,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$3,00050th$5,00075th$8,000
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
ShareLink copied
About this role
Travel Agent is a professional role within the function in the Sales job family.
The Sales function covers building customer relationships, managing pipeline, and closing revenue.
Typical entry preparation: Associate's Degree and 1 to 3 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in 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.
Top skills:Service OrientationActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionSocial PerceptivenessPersuasion
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Travel Agent pay by experience level
Entry level$36,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$43,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$52,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$65,500
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$79,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+2.2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
7,100
projected openings per year
Growing slower than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Travel Agent salary by industry
Administrative and Support Services
46,080 workers
$56,000
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services
45,410 workers
$56,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises
2,690 workers
$63,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
2,690 workers
$63,500
Water Transportation
1,640 workers
$47,500
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation
1,640 workers
$47,500
Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
1,640 workers
$61,500
Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
740 workers
$59,000
Insurance Carriers and Related Activities
480 workers
$51,500
Accommodation
460 workers
$50,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 81,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
86.2%
White
82.8%
Black or African American
6.1%
Asian
6.4%
Hispanic or Latino
13%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $42,350 to $50,160.
+18.4% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$36,000
Early career25th percentile
$43,500
Median50th percentile
$52,000
Experienced75th percentile
$65,500
Top earners90th percentile
$79,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Service OrientationActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionSocial PerceptivenessPersuasion
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
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.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$56,500
2027$58,500
2028$60,500
2029$62,500
2030$65,000
2031$67,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
Get your Personal Pay Report for Travel Agent
Keep your market comparison in a print-ready PDF, with negotiation targets, a script using your numbers, and a five-year market-pay illustration. Career ladder where available.
StateYears of experienceCurrent salary
One-time purchase. Review the final total, including any applicable tax, in Stripe before you pay. Report available immediately after successful payment. Full refund on request within 7 days of purchase. Refund terms. Prefer to explore first? Run a free market check.
Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
Your free market check includes an estimated percentile and pay gap when you enter your salary. The paid report adds a PDF, negotiation targets and script, and a five-year market-pay illustration. See a full sample report
The median market pay for a Travel Agent in the United States is about $56,500 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Travel Agent?
Most Travel Agent pay falls between about $43,500 (25th percentile) and $65,500 (75th percentile), with top earners above $79,500.
What does a Travel Agent do?
Core responsibilities include: collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer; and plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
Is pay for Travel Agent roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $42,350 in 2020 to $50,160 in 2025, a change of +18.4% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Travel Agent pays 58% below the average across 933 roles in the Sales job family (family average $135,500).
Need Travel Agent pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
