What Does it Take to Be a Travel Agent?
Example of Travel Agent Job Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for travel agency 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.
A Day in the Life of a Travel Agent
- Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers.
- 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.
- Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer.
- Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour’s costs.
- Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required.
Featured schools near , edit
What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Travel Agent?
These are the skills Travel Agents say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Other Travel Agent Job Titles
- International Travel Consultant
- Travel Coordinator
- Tour Agent
- Auto Travel Counselor
- Tour Coordinator
Are There Job Opportunities for Travel Agents?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 81,700 jobs in the United States for Travel Agent. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Travel Agent. The BLS estimates 7,800 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Travel Agent are Washington, Alaska, and Maryland. Watch out if you plan on working in Wisconsin, Ohio, or North Dakota. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does a Travel Agent Make?
The average yearly salary of a Travel Agent ranges between $22,370 and $66,080.
Travel Agents who work in District of Columbia, Washington, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.
How much do Travel Agents make in different U.S. states?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $45,070 |
| Alaska | $42,060 |
| Arizona | $48,980 |
| Arkansas | $37,580 |
| California | $47,460 |
| Colorado | $44,750 |
| Connecticut | $48,780 |
| Delaware | $41,800 |
| District of Columbia | $56,790 |
| Florida | $41,630 |
| Georgia | $35,190 |
| Hawaii | $42,170 |
| Idaho | $38,280 |
| Illinois | $41,100 |
| Indiana | $40,640 |
| Iowa | $41,330 |
| Kansas | $45,940 |
| Kentucky | $41,470 |
| Louisiana | $38,060 |
| Maine | $34,510 |
| Maryland | $36,300 |
| Massachusetts | $49,920 |
| Michigan | $42,530 |
| Minnesota | $45,530 |
| Mississippi | $34,120 |
| Missouri | $40,100 |
| Montana | $45,810 |
| Nebraska | $41,650 |
| Nevada | $56,590 |
| New Hampshire | $44,420 |
| New Jersey | $49,330 |
| New Mexico | $40,970 |
| New York | $40,000 |
| North Carolina | $40,690 |
| North Dakota | $33,600 |
| Ohio | $36,250 |
| Oklahoma | $36,940 |
| Oregon | $38,520 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,700 |
| Rhode Island | $37,280 |
| South Carolina | $33,150 |
| South Dakota | $36,140 |
| Tennessee | $42,600 |
| Texas | $39,670 |
| Utah | $43,590 |
| Vermont | $44,000 |
| Virginia | $44,970 |
| Washington | $52,790 |
| West Virginia | $35,420 |
| Wisconsin | $37,350 |
| Wyoming | $47,440 |
What Tools do Travel Agents Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Travel Agents may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Travel Agent CMS
How to Become a Travel Agent
What kind of Travel Agent requirements are there?
How many years of work experience do I need?
Where Travel Agents Work
The table below shows the approximate number of Travel Agents employed by various industries.
Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being a Travel Agent may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Nick Nijhuis via Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs.
Visit School
BusinessDegreeCentral.com provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© BusinessDegreeCentral.com – All Rights Reserved.