Travel agents: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time travel agents in the UK earned a median £28,746 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 26% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (81st from the bottom).
The middle half of full-time jobs paid between £25,357 and £37,527.
Median full-time pay: women £27,788 a year, men £34,093 a year.
About 71% of the roughly 21,000 employee jobs are full-time.
From £439.90 in 2021, the median is up 26.4%, close to the 25.7% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 27,200 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £23,387 | £462.90 | £12.46 | – | £277.40* | £12.31 |
| 20th percentile | £25,233 | £474.60 | £12.73 | £19,900* | £373.00 | £12.51 |
| 25th percentile | £25,357 | £486.30 | £13.01 | £21,802 | £404.80 | £12.61 |
| 30th percentile | £26,058 | £491.60 | £13.60 | £23,028 | £457.90 | £12.92 |
| 40th percentile | £26,929 | £527.40 | £14.36 | £25,242 | £474.80 | £13.66 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £28,746 | £556.10 | £15.05 | £26,426 | £507.10 | £14.38 |
| 60th percentile | £33,891 | £616.70 | £16.04 | £28,236 | £552.40 | £15.44 |
| 70th percentile | £36,520* | £657.70 | £17.08 | £32,566* | £605.20 | £16.42 |
| 75th percentile | £37,527* | £676.30 | £17.91 | £34,933* | £643.70 | £17.10 |
| 80th percentile | – | £717.00* | £18.34* | – | £673.10 | £18.23 |
| Mean | £32,625 | £605.60 | £16.09 | £28,569 | £528.70 | £15.70 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | – | £439.90 | £11.87 | £17,178* | £326.90* | 17* |
| 2022 revised | £24,575* | £458.60 | £12.04 | £19,670* | £398.30 | 20* |
| 2023 revised | £29,763 | £543.40 | £14.21 | £26,646 | £470.60 | 20 |
| 2024 revised | £28,327 | £526.70 | £14.38 | £24,792 | £482.10 | 24 |
| 2025 provisional | £28,746 | £556.10 | £15.05 | £26,426 | £507.10 | 21 |
Travel agents by region
UK: 27,200 (± 6,400), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What travel agents do
Travel agents advise travellers upon travel arrangements, make bookings and receive payment for travel arrangements made. (ONS SOC 2020, 6212)
Also covers: reservations agent, sales consultant (travel agents), travel adviser, travel agent, travel consultant, agent (travel), airline official, booking agent, booking clerk, cruise consultant, holiday consultant, leisure consultant, operations controller, operations executive, reservation controller, reservations consultant, reservations officer and reservations supervisor (36 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Discusses client requirements and shows brochures containing suitable packages
- Establishes availability with tour operators and makes bookings
- Consults travel time-tables, books travel tickets and accommodation
- Handles cash, debit and credit card payment
- Informs client of any changes in travel arrangements
- Advises on issues of currency, passports, visa requirements, insurance, car hire, vaccinations and other health precautions
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although many employers require entrants to possess GCSEs/S grades. Off and on-the-job training is usually available. NVQs/SVQs in travel services at levels 2 and 3, BTEC, apprenticeships and higher level qualifications are available.
Related
Leisure and travel services (median £30,792) · Sports and leisure assistants · Air travel assistants · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026