Ask about dates and budget
Before suggesting any destinations or transport, ask the traveler about dates, budget and lodging needs.
Career profile
Travel Agent
Travel agents turn a customer's hopes for a trip into a bookable plan.
You weigh routes, lodging and costs, then recommend what fits each traveler. Anyone who enjoys researching choices and guiding someone's decision gets plenty of both.
A day in the life
Price options on the computer
Set fares and hotel rates side by side, then show how each pick changes the total price.
Book the trip and take payment
You reserve the transport and room, collect the customer's payment, and update their booking file.
Rebook a missed flight
When a traveler misses a flight, pull up their trip details, talk over alternatives, and help rebook.
Quick facts
High school + job training
United States
$50,160/year
United States · May 2025
0% growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + job trainingSome employers prefer sales experience or travel education.
Pay
$50,160/yearMedian employee pay; about $24.11/hour.
Outlook
0% growthAbout 5,900 openings annually, mostly replacing workers who leave.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like asking questions before recommending something.
- You notice mismatched dates and keep records orderly.
- You enjoy explaining a purchase and asking for the sale.
Things to weigh
- Much of the work happens sitting at a computer or on the phone.
- Disruptions bring stressed clients; peak periods and last-minute changes can extend your hours.
Where AI may help
Some corporate travel apps let travelers change bookings themselves. Artificial intelligence (AI) assistants answer questions and pass unresolved requests to a counselor.
What people still lead
You work through the requests that need a conversation: understanding what changed, explaining alternatives, and helping the traveler choose.
What we can’t predict yet
As self-service improves, the amount of routine booking work left for agents may shrink.
Pay in context
Earnings
Commissions and service fees can affect what you earn.
The national range
Median pay was $50,160 a year, or $24.11 an hour. The lowest tenth earned below $34,610; the highest tenth exceeded $76,660. These are wage percentiles, not career stages.
Working for yourself
These figures exclude self-employed agents, whose business income is different from an employee wage.
Getting started
Learn in an agency
- What the route involves
- Enter with a high school diploma and learn reservation systems through employer training.
- What it can lead to
- You learn to handle the agency's bookings.
- What to check
- Check state business requirements before selling independently.
Take introductory travel training
- What the route involves
- Study travel products, geography, customer service, and sales. The Travel Institute's Travel Introductory Program (TRIPKIT) accepts beginners without industry experience.
- What it can lead to
- You gain a foundation for discussing itineraries and travel products when seeking agency work.
- What to check
- This is optional preparation, not a required course or a job guarantee.
Choose employer training or build travel knowledge before applying.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Make bookings reliably
Build a routine for checking reservations and keeping client records complete.
Deepen your recommendations
Learn destinations and travel products well enough to explain why a particular route, hotel, or tour fits the client's plans.
Coach other agents
In larger corporate travel operations, experience can lead toward team-coach or service-delivery leadership roles, helping consultants solve problems and meet service goals.
Where you can work
Leisure travel agency
Match vacations to personal interests and budgets, often within a destination or travel specialty.
- Office
- Indoors
Corporate travel service
Arrange business trips within a larger support operation. Some provide round-the-clock service and an internal help desk for difficult bookings. Remote roles exist, but location and shifts depend on the job.
- Office
- Remote may be possible
- Shift work
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Plan a hypothetical two-night trip within a fixed budget. Compare two transportation-and-hotel combinations, then move the departure a day later. Explain your revised recommendation to a friend. Notice whether you enjoy both checking details and helping someone choose.
Stay safe: Use public prices and make no bookings or payments.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Travel Agents — Occupational Outlook Handbook. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine. 41-3041.00 — Travel Agents. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- The Travel Institute. Travel Introductory Program: TRIPKIT 6th Edition. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Express Global Business Travel. Careers in Traveler Care. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- American Express Global Business Travel. Traveler Support. Accessed 2026-10-03.