How to hire a reservation sales agent

How to hire a reservation sales agent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step reservation sales agent hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a reservation sales agent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new reservation sales agent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a reservation sales agent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a reservation sales agent, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A reservation sales agent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, reservation sales agents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of reservation sales agent salaries for various roles:

   Type of Reservation Sales Agent	Description	Hourly rate
   Reservation Sales Agent	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$14-19
   Agent	Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors... Show more	$9-34
   Ticket Agent	Ticket agents are responsible for making and confirming travel arrangements for passengers. They are employed by railroads, airlines, bus companies, and cruise lines... Show more	$10-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reservations
   • Customer Service
   • Booking
   • Inbound Calls
   • Front Desk
   • Resorts
   • Hotel Reservations
   • Sales Techniques
   • Airline Reservations
   • Credit Card Payments
   • Room Reservations
   • Reservation System
   • Reservation Sales
   • Quality Standards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide customer service and achieve sales quotas by efficiently answering and completing incoming reservations calls quickly.
   • Receive and handle high volume of inbound customer calls booking domestic and international airline reservations.
   • Communicate information regarding designate VIP reservations.
   • Assist customers in booking reservations to international/domestic destinations, while identifying opportunities to sell beneficial options and services.
   • Assist guests and travel representatives with reservations, itineraries and transportation arrangements using a GDS program.
   • Attend agency clients personally and by telephone, to sell tickets for the Amadeus system of the airline.

   More reservation sales agent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your reservation sales agent job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A reservation sales agent can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, reservation sales agents' average salary in wyoming is 30% less than in new mexico.
   • Seniority. Entry-level reservation sales agents 23% less than senior-level reservation sales agents.
   • Certifications. A reservation sales agent with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a reservation sales agent's salary.

   Average reservation sales agent salary

   $35,459yearly

   $17.05 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level reservation sales agent salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average reservation sales agent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Mexico	$40,492	$19
   2	Arkansas	$40,260	$19
   3	Hawaii	$39,540	$19
   4	Minnesota	$39,531	$19
   5	Illinois	$38,002	$18
   6	California	$37,435	$18
   7	Virginia	$37,085	$18
   8	South Carolina	$37,031	$18
   9	Indiana	$36,842	$18
   10	Texas	$36,752	$18
   11	North Carolina	$36,405	$18
   12	Arizona	$36,379	$17
   13	Georgia	$36,325	$17
   14	Mississippi	$35,779	$17
   15	Alaska	$35,387	$17
   16	Washington	$35,304	$17
   17	Pennsylvania	$35,286	$17
   18	Oklahoma	$35,113	$17
   19	Rhode Island	$34,741	$17
   20	Missouri	$34,630	$17

   Average reservation sales agent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Aspen Snowmass	$40,396	$19.42	4
   2	National Railroad Passenger Corporation	$36,564	$17.58	4
   3	Wyndham Hotels & Resorts	$35,594	$17.11	30
   4	Vacasa	$35,579	$17.11
   5	Hyatt Hotels	$35,576	$17.10	37
   6	U-Haul	$35,527	$17.08	926
   7	Auberge Resorts Collection	$35,447	$17.04	17
   8	Pebble Beach Resorts	$35,379	$17.01	1
   9	Hotel Services	$35,338	$16.99	9
   10	Montage Hotels & Resorts	$35,336	$16.99	16
   11	Winter Park Resort	$35,199	$16.92
   12	AAA Northeast	$35,165	$16.91	40
   13	Rancho Valencia	$35,117	$16.88	1
   14	Alterra Mountain	$34,921	$16.79
   15	Pyramid Hotel Group	$34,872	$16.77
   16	Cliff House	$34,833	$16.75	4
   17	American Queen Voyages	$34,825	$16.74
   18	Marriott International	$34,773	$16.72	186
   19	The Walt Disney Company	$34,710	$16.69	7
   20	Crescent Hotels & Resorts	$34,641	$16.65

4. Writing a reservation sales agent job description

   A job description for a reservation sales agent role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a reservation sales agent job description:

   Reservation sales agent job description example

   Start an exciting and rewarding career in the travel industry!
   
   Pleasant Holidays, one of the largest travel wholesalers in the United States specializing in vacation travel to the Hawaiian Islands, Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, Mexico, Middle East, South Pacific (Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand & Tahiti), Japan & Asia, the United States & Canada, and cruise vacations worldwide, is seeking Reservation Sales Agents to start our October 10, 2022 training class. This is an in-bound call center with no cold calling or telemarketing.
   
   Would you enjoy working with customers to help them create vacations of a lifetime? If so, this is what we are looking for:
   Your passion to help our customers and travel agents build dream vacations by offering our destinations and services Your drive to “make the sale”Your expertise in our product and policies Your excellent customer service skills Your acute attention to details and the ability to review your own work to ensure quality Your ability to work under pressure, quickly and accurately Your desire to build relationships with our travel agent partners Your commitment to have FUN booking great travel packages around the world!
   
   Do you have what it takes? Here are the qualifications needed:
   A minimum of 6 months in customer service or sales Excellent communication skills, both verbally and written, to interact with customers, employees and management Organizational skills and the ability to multi-task Ability to retain and organize large amounts of information Computer proficiency and knowledge of business applications Must be able to work independently and be self motivated Availability to work variable shifts including weekends College degree or equivalent work history
   
   What's in it for you? Here are some of the benefits to working at Pleasant Holidays:
   $17.50 per hour training rate, up to the first year Commission eligible (after the training class) with unlimited earning potential; most earn between $45,000 - $75,000 annually Paid training full time, 40 hours per week, and will last 5 to 6 consecutive weeks Time off benefits - Paid holidays, paid vacation and sick time Medical, dental, vision and flexible spending accounts Tuition Reimbursement Program 401(k) with potential for company match Rewards & Incentives - Free trips, cash and prizes Opportunity to work from home after first year, based on performance and tenure Employee referral incentives Excellent travel discounts for employees, friends and family Discounted movie and theme park tickets Career advancement opportunities
   
   Benefits to working at Pleasant Holidays:• Medical (with prescription)• Vision• Dental• Flexible Spending Accounts• Paid Time Off for Holidays, Vacation, and Illness• Company paid Life Insurance• Long Term Disability• 401(k) Plan• AFLAC Plans• Travel Discounts on all Pleasant Holidays packages, Hotel Rooms, Car Rentals, Tours & Activities. Discounts apply to family members and friends too!
   
   Pleasant Holidays is one of the largest travel wholesalers in the United States, specializing in vacation travel to the Hawaiian Islands, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Mexico, Middle East, South Pacific (Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand & Tahiti), Japan, the United States & Canada, and cruise vacations worldwide. Pleasant Holidays is a subsidiary of the Automobile Club of Southern California, a diversified insurance, roadside assistance, financial services and travel organization serving 17 million AAA Members across 21 states.
   Pleasant Holidays is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   Pleasant Holidays will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable federal, state and local laws

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right reservation sales agent for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your reservation sales agent job on Zippia to find and recruit reservation sales agent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting reservation sales agents requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new reservation sales agent

   Once you've found the reservation sales agent candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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