Travel Agent Career
A job as a travel agent typically includes planning and selling transportation and accommodations for customers. Much like planning out a trip or vacation, a travel agent works out the details and nuances of a trip for the customer to ensure they have a good time.
Sometimes a travel agent may do as little planning as simply booking a flight. Other customers want entire itineraries planned, complete with food and activities.
Travel agents tend to work in office-like settings, though there are some that work entirely or partially from home. You can expect to work an average of 40 hours per week, during regular business hours. However, some travel agents also work on weekends, which is when more people are able to make appointments or simply stop in.
Travel Agent Career Snapshot
A lot of travel agent careers tend to be commission-based, meaning your pay rate is determined by how much you are able to sell. Because of this, many agents tend to work more hours in order to make more money via sales.
Further details on a career as a travel agent are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the average yearly salary for travel agents.
decline in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have an Associate’s degree while 31% have a High School diploma.
Travel Agent Education
The majority of those working as a travel agent have some type of college experience, with 37 percent having an Associate’s degree and 14 percent having a Bachelor’s degree. However, many people – around 31 percent of travel agents – are able to work with just a high school diploma.
Travel Agent Salaries
According to the BLS.gov May 2015 data, the average yearly salary for a travel agent is around $35,000. For those that have good interpersonal skills and are good at sales, you can expect to make more money from commission. Some of the best travel agents bring in around $60,000 annually. For agents that aren’t able to gain a commission, you can expect to make a little more than $20,000 per year.
Travel Agent Job Outlook
With the rise of personal technology, fewer people book vacations through travel agents, instead choosing to book everything themselves. As a travel agent, you are offering the convenience of planning out all the details and eliminating the common stress that comes from booking and planning vacations. Successful travel agents now tend to specialize in specific destinations or cater to specific types of travelers.
Travel Agent Job Duties
The two top duties that travel agents have to perform is interacting with customers and managing computers. You need to have the skills to handle any customer, especially the stressed out traveler. Much of the booking for travel is now done via computer, either online or through email. Therefore, a thorough knowledge of how to use computers is also important for excelling in the field.
Travel Agent Skills & Traits
| Travel Agent Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Travel Agents: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Active Listening • Service Orientation • Reading Comprehension • Speaking • Social Perceptiveness | • Speech Recognition • Oral Comprehension • Speech Clarity • Near Vision • Oral Expression | • Inkjet printers • Personal computers • Photocopiers • Point of sale payment terminal • Ticket dispensing machines | • Working with computers • Getting information • Communicating with others • Working with the public • Maintaining relationships |
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