Career overview

Travel Agents

O*NET-SOC 41-3041.00

Median pay / yr$48,450

OutlookBelow Average

Plan and sell transportation and accommodations for customers. Determine destination, modes of transportation, travel dates, costs, and accommodations required. May also describe, plan, and arrange itineraries and sell tour packages. May assist in resolving clients' travel problems.

What it takes

The skills, knowledge, and credentials employers look for in Travel Agents.

Skills employers look for

Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Knowledge areas

Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Sales and MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
GeographyKnowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.