Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks: Job Description
Make and confirm reservations for transportation or lodging, or sell transportation tickets. May check baggage and direct passengers to designated concourse, pier, or track; deliver tickets and contact individuals and groups to inform them of package tours; or provide tourists with travel or transportation information.
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The Daily Work of Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Take On?
Typical responsibilities of reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks include:
- Examine passenger documentation to determine destinations and to assign boarding passes.
- Trace lost, delayed, or misdirected baggage for customers.
- Check baggage and cargo and direct passengers to designated locations for loading.
- Provide boarding or disembarking assistance to passengers needing special assistance.
- Confer with customers to determine their service requirements and travel preferences.
- Announce arrival and departure information, using public address systems.
- Determine whether space is available on travel dates requested by customers, assigning requested spaces when available.
- Assemble and issue required documentation, such as tickets, travel insurance policies, or itineraries.
Skills and Knowledge
Successful reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Aircraft Agent
- Aircraft Cabin Agent
- Airline Agent
- Airline Reservation Agent
- Airline Reservationist
- Airline Station Agent
- Airline Ticket Agent
- Airport Agent
How Many Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Are There?
The U.S. employs around 1,336,756 reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.5% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $52,054 |
| Hourly median | $25.03 |
| 10th percentile | $35,774 |
| 25th percentile | $43,914 |
| 75th percentile | $60,194 |
| 90th percentile | $68,334 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | $52,740 |
| New Mexico | $50,590 |
| Washington | $47,110 |
| Texas | $46,550 |
| California | $46,540 |
| Virginia | $46,440 |
| Colorado | $46,420 |
| Idaho | $45,780 |
| Indiana | $45,580 |
| Illinois | $45,000 |
| Michigan | $44,570 |
| Oklahoma | $43,900 |
| New Hampshire | $43,720 |
| Hawaii | $42,430 |
| Massachusetts | $41,970 |
| Ohio | $41,940 |
| Rhode Island | $41,900 |
| Delaware | $41,770 |
| Alaska | $41,550 |
| New York | $41,460 |
| Georgia | $41,430 |
| Arizona | $41,320 |
| Minnesota | $40,850 |
| Connecticut | $40,540 |
| Vermont | $39,660 |
| Maine | $39,590 |
| Kentucky | $39,490 |
| Maryland | $39,420 |
| Puerto Rico | $39,310 |
| Nevada | $38,970 |
| Oregon | $38,420 |
| Missouri | $38,100 |
| Florida | $37,830 |
| South Carolina | $37,630 |
| Wisconsin | $37,610 |
| Montana | $37,610 |
| Utah | $37,540 |
| Tennessee | $37,380 |
| New Jersey | $37,360 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,190 |
| Alabama | $36,460 |
| Louisiana | $36,070 |
| South Dakota | $35,910 |
| Arkansas | $35,500 |
| Nebraska | $35,490 |
| Kansas | $35,470 |
| Iowa | $34,640 |
| West Virginia | $34,590 |
| North Dakota | $33,840 |
| Mississippi | $33,530 |
| Virgin Islands | $27,800 |
Where Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks Earn the Most
Compensation for reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | $45,865 | 19.9% | 1.65 |
| Far Western US | $44,810 | 18.8% | 1.37 |
| Great Lakes | $44,103 | 8.3% | 0.95 |
| Rocky Mountains | $41,621 | 5.9% | 1.85 |
| New England | $41,369 | 2.0% | 0.42 |
| Southeast | $40,742 | 29.5% | 1.70 |
| Middle Atlantic | $38,981 | 10.4% | 0.73 |
| Plains States | $38,314 | 4.8% | 0.87 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | NC | $54,760 | 2,110 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | NC | $52,740 | 950 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | TX | $51,320 | 1,800 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $49,650 | 60 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $48,610 | 2,800 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | OH | $48,590 | |
| Columbia, SC | SC | $48,020 | 60 |
| Boise City, ID | ID | $48,000 | 180 |
Industry Breakdown
Most reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 97,650 | $42,500 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 19,600 | $40,100 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 4,670 | $40,740 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,400 | $36,670 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,710 | $38,270 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 400 | $40,000 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 120 | $55,750 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 70 | $31,290 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks reflects the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Getting Started in This Career
Typical reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Transportation Security Screeners (Supplemental)
- Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers (Supplemental)
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops (Primary-Short)
- Concierges (Supplemental)
- Travel Guides (Primary-Long)
- Counter and Rental Clerks (Primary-Short)
- Travel Agents (Primary-Short)
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel (Supplemental)
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-4181.00 (Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks).
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