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Job outlook for travel specialists in the United States
Travel specialist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected travel specialist job growth rate is 20% from 2018-2028.
About 9,100 new jobs for travel specialists are projected over the next decade.
Travel specialist salaries have increased 16% for travel specialists in the last 5 years.
There are over 13,039 travel specialists currently employed in the United States.
There are 7,580 active travel specialist job openings in the US.
The average travel specialist salary is $54,498.
Are travel specialist jobs in demand?
Travel specialist job and salary trends over time
Travel specialist jobs over time
Travel specialist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,039 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 19,347 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 23,375 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 24,360 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 23,607 | 0.01% |
Average travel specialist salary over time
Travel specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $54,498 | $26.20 | +4.2% |
| 2024 | $52,324 | $25.16 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $49,801 | $23.94 | +4.6% |
| 2022 | $47,601 | $22.89 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $46,919 | $22.56 | +2.2% |
Travel specialist jobs by state
Most common states for travel specialists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 65 | 9% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 220 | 7% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 38 | 7% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 117 | 6% |
| 5 | Delaware | 961,939 | 62 | 6% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 46 | 6% |
| 7 | Alaska | 739,795 | 41 | 6% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 36 | 6% |
| 9 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 332 | 5% |
| 10 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 69 | 5% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 66 | 5% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 50 | 5% |
| 13 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 47 | 5% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 473 | 4% |
| 15 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 364 | 4% |
| 16 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 259 | 4% |
| 17 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 243 | 4% |
| 18 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 127 | 4% |
| 19 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 74 | 4% |
| 20 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 68 | 4% |
Most common cities for travel specialists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Morrisville | 2 | 8% | $46,416 |
| 2 | Palm Beach Gardens | 2 | 4% | $45,757 |
| 3 | Macon | 2 | 2% | $41,978 |
| 4 | Bethesda | 1 | 2% | $50,953 |
| 5 | Manassas | 1 | 2% | $55,266 |
| 6 | Gaithersburg | 1 | 1% | $50,801 |
| 7 | Washington | 3 | 0% | $66,455 |
| 8 | Miami | 2 | 0% | $45,781 |
| 9 | San Diego | 2 | 0% | $63,490 |
| 10 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $35,072 |
| 11 | Dallas | 1 | 0% | $43,029 |
| 12 | Detroit | 1 | 0% | $55,376 |
| 13 | Houston | 1 | 0% | $43,564 |
| 14 | Los Angeles | 1 | 0% | $65,298 |
| 15 | Lubbock | 1 | 0% | $43,895 |
Travel Specialist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of travel specialist experts
California State University, San Bernardino
The Travel Institute
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Travel Specialists?
Manraj Singh Virk: There is and still will be some kind of impact of this pandemic on graduates. Reasons for this according to me could be:
a) Losses suffered by various businesses: This pandemic did force a lot businesses to shut down forever. Whereas, for others it led to huge losses as everything was closed down for quite a period due to the various lockdowns all over the country. This is a major problem as these losses did and can still affect the hiring process for quite some time.
b) Another reason according to me is as the lockdown came in many businesses laid-off many employees due to lack of money to pay them. So I think they'll have a responsibility towards them as well to consider them first at times of hiring. So this could be another challenge for the fresh graduates in terms of experience that they will lack as compared to the employees that were initially laid-off.
What's a good job out of college for Travel Specialists?
Manraj Singh Virk: A good job out of college according to me could be the one that helps the individual to showcase all the skills that one has acquired along time in their college life whether it's related to communication or the technical skill sets related to their particular major. For some getting certain salary range would be a priority but in this pandemic for me salary would be secondary and a good position that has a security for future growth and also fits my background so that I can help the company as well while developing myself would be very important as a two way give and take is always necessary i.e. if you want the company to treat you good then it's your responsibility to add value to their business as well.
What will help Travel Specialists increase their earning potential?
Manraj Singh Virk: My majors being Accounting and Business Intelligence, I think various steps could help in increasing the earning potential of people. These steps could be:
a) Continuous updating your knowledge and improving your concepts in these fields. As accounting standards remain constant but new amendments come in year to year regarding various points including taxation and various laws which a person in that field should be aware of.
b) In terms of business intelligence along with the continuous updation of knowledge of the concepts, updating one's knowledge about the modern technology is also important. Every day something new comes in the market that helps businesses and individuals to save both in terms of money and resources. And having adequate knowledge about these technologies on timely basis can give an individual some sort of edge over his/her competition.
c) Along with the above two sense of harmony, team spirit, social responsibilities, and strong will to bring positive change are some characteristics that are easy to identify in an individual and play an important role in doing good in any position or work assigned.
What general advice would you give to a Travel Specialist?
Diane Petras: Agents should expect business to return when the pandemic passes. In fact, there is already significant, pent-up demand with consumers who want to travel. Short-term, this demand has translated into 1) greater interest in domestic travel as a more comfortable, familiar option for now, and 2) bookings for travel itineraries a year or more out. Longer-term and post-pandemic, the travel industry is expected to fully recover for both national and international travel bookings. Both short- and long-term, agents need to understand and communicate with travelers on new health-related travel protocols and, possibly, emerging health-related ratings for suppliers and destinations. In the meantime, given the fluidity of changes in travel restrictions and destinations, agents can also expect great professional camaraderie as agents are sharing dynamically-changing travel and destination details so that the industry can best serve all travelers.
What type of skills will young Travel Specialists need?
Diane Petras: The good news for young graduates considering their career options is that anyone can become a travel agent. That said, the foundation for being a successful travel professional and trusted advisor is a combination of soft and hard skills. It's a combination of knowing market specifics and how to access and secure the best value for your travelers while also understanding personal needs, communicating value, being ethical, and building trusting relationships, all while taking the client through the decision process and finalizing the sale.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Travel Specialists to find work opportunities?
Diane Petras: Regardless of where a graduate lives, there is a great opportunity for those who possess an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for travel, and a strong desire to curate travel experiences for others because travel can be sold from anywhere. We conducted a survey in 2018 that analyzed the changing face of travel agents over the past decade and identified a seismic shift from travel agents working in an agency office location to working from home as a self-employed agent.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Travel Specialists?
Diane Petras: Absolutely! By and large, travelers will become quite comfortable exploring destinations near and far again. When that happens, travel insurance is most certainly going to become a more critical option they want to include as we all come to expect the unexpected. We also see new pandemic-initiated health protocols that are here to stay, from face masks to social distancing, hygiene practices, virus testing, and more. And, for travel suppliers, implementing these protocols may translate into health-related rankings that agents and travelers use to further determine an itinerary.
What experience really stands out on Travel Specialist resumes?
Diane Petras: Experience in booking particular destinations or through specific suppliers is always helpful on a resume, but education is the most critical indicator of commitment and success throughout an agent’s career. In fact, industry surveys prove agents who take the time to learn will earn more as well. For new agents lacking travel-specific experience, The Travel Institute’s TRIPKIT introductory course provides industry newcomers with the foundation they need to be successful, whether they choose to specialize or generalize. After completing the course, they can build consumer-, employer-, and self-confidence by taking the Travel Agent Proficiency, TAPSM, exam, which confirms whether they’ve mastered travel industry basics. For more experienced agents, our CTA®, CTC®, and CTIE® certification programs ensure agents continue to gain advanced skills throughout their careers. And, of course, there are countless courses that dive into the details on specific destinations, industry products and services, and more.
How do you envision technology impacting Travel Specialists in the next 5 years?
Diane Petras: I envision technology continuing to impact the travel industry in many ways, including:
· Technology will create additional opportunities to connect travelers and agents that would otherwise never meet. For instance:
o The Travel Institute’s digital credentials for agents allow travelers to find and validate an agent’s experience and education through us as a third-party, independent resource.
o Online video meetings are now the norm, enabling people to connect on a deeper level than email or phone allows.
o Social media tools are becoming more prevalent in helping agents stay connected to current clients while also expanding their reach and growing their base.
· Technology will also further enable online learning.
o As the leader in travel industry education, we believe online learning management systems will only become more critical. We already deliver most of our content through an online, interactive educational tool, and we see only increased interest from students for us to make our print resources available via this platform.
o Group learning online is also a popular, growing trend as we facilitate more and more virtual classrooms for students to learn together, share experiences and ideas, and grow their networks.
· There will also be more artificial intelligence and cloud-based technology to assist agents during the trip planning process and help agents with time-consuming, research-intensive, repetitive tasks so that they can spend more time collaborating with clients, suppliers, and destinations to produce more vacation choices, customization, and immersive experiences.
· One thing technology will not do is replicate the agent’s true value. Over the years, DIY travelers have found themselves stranded during crises related to weather, terrorism, health, and more; learning the hard way that they were without the support of a travel expert who could navigate a rapidly changing situation and find a creative solution to get them home quickly and safely. The 2020 pandemic has proven, yet again, there is no replacement for a professional travel agent with the critical thinking skills, supplier relationships, industry knowledge, and network connections needed to advise and assist before, during, and after travel.