Tour operator vs tour agent

The differences between tour operators and tour agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a tour operator and a tour agent. Additionally, a tour operator has an average salary of $47,294, which is higher than the $31,350 average annual salary of a tour agent.

The top three skills for a tour operator include reservations, customer service and customer feedback. The most important skills for a tour agent are sales floor, data entry, and reservations.

Tour operator vs tour agent overview

	Tour Operator	Tour Agent
Yearly salary	$47,294	$31,350
Hourly rate	$22.74	$15.07
Growth rate	4%	20%
Number of jobs	26,040	30,004
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Average age	34	51
Years of experience	2	2

Tour operator vs tour agent salary

Tour operators and tour agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tour Operator	Tour Agent
Average salary	$47,294	$31,350
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $82,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between tour operator and tour agent education

There are a few differences between a tour operator and a tour agent in terms of educational background:

	Tour Operator	Tour Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 42%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Southern California	-

Tour operator vs tour agent demographics

Here are the differences between tour operators' and tour agents' demographics:

	Tour Operator	Tour Agent
Average age	34	51
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 32.1% Female, 67.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 9.9% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 9.8% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	9%	17%

Differences between tour operator and tour agent duties and responsibilities

Tour operator example responsibilities.

Plan itineraries, make reservations, lead tours, obtain licenses for foreign pilots, manage a fleet of light aircraft.
Manage VIP guest calendar to ensure these guests are given quality service from staff.
Process and issue airlines, transfers, hotels, and city tours reservations for groups.
Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.
Film all selection tour events and act as intermediary between AAG and hundreds of Midwestern media outlets.
Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.

Tour agent example responsibilities.

Utilize OpenTable to take and manage reservations both from incoming calls and ones request online.
Provide excellent customer service through making group reservations and tour reservations.
Greet and check in guests for their respective tour presentations, look up accounts, and input guest information in CRS.
Perform travel agent duties providing a prestige customer experience in booking tours internationally and domestically for a fast pace tour company.
Remain prepared to respond to emergencies and conduct emergency procedures according to FAA guidelines.

Tour operator vs tour agent skills

Common tour operator skills

Reservations, 32%
Customer Service, 22%
Customer Feedback, 4%
Travel Arrangements, 3%
Tour Guides, 3%
Reservation System, 3%

Common tour agent skills

Sales Floor, 50%
Data Entry, 17%
Reservations, 10%
CRS, 7%
Front Desk, 6%
Customer Service, 5%