How much should I pay a travel agents in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Travel Agents is $50,149 to $63,066 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows retail trade wages growing about 3.4% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a travel agents?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $41,954 is below market, $50,149 to $63,066 is competitive, and above $63,066 is above market for Travel Agents.

How is travel agents pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 3.5% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI). Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Travel Agents Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 41-3041 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$50,149

$24.11/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Travel Agents salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$35K

P25$42K

P50$50K

P75$63K

P90$77K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $50,149 to $63,066 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Travel Agents pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 3.5% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, roughly in line with the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Travel Agents is $50,149 per year ($24.11/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $41,954 and $63,066 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $76,669 per year. There are approximately 55,110 travel agents employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+2.2%

About as fast as average

Annual openings

per year, on avg

Workforce today

66K

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services NAICS 561500	45K	$49,650
Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100	3K	$63,400
Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation NAICS 483100	2K	$37,600
Traveler Accommodation NAICS 721100	460	$48,260
Employment Services NAICS 561300	390	$58,140

Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,600 to $63,400 (69% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$16.64	$34,611
P25	$20.17	$41,954
P50MEDIAN	$24.11	$50,149
P75	$30.32	$63,066
P90	$36.86	$76,669

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · retail sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.8%

Quits Rate

3.0%

Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average travel agents salary?

The national median salary for Travel Agents is $50,149 per year ($24.11/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $41,954 and $63,066 annually.

How much do top-earning travel agents make?

The 90th percentile salary for Travel Agents is $76,669 per year ($36.86/hr). The 75th percentile is $63,066 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for travel agents?

Entry-level Travel Agents (10th percentile) earn approximately $34,611 per year ($16.64/hr). The 25th percentile is $41,954 per year.

Related Salary Data

Compare with other occupations

Retail Salespersons41-2031$35K/yr Cashiers41-2011$33K/yr Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel41-3091$70K/yr Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products41-4012$72K/yr First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers41-1011$49K/yr Browse all 770+ occupations →

Travel Agents Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

Florida9,430 workers California4,760 workers Texas4,310 workers New York3,180 workers Georgia2,300 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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