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Reservation agent: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$44,390median pay per year, or $21.34 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $32,140lowest 10% earn less
  2. $37,85025th percentile
  3. $44,390median
  4. $59,64075th percentile
  5. $78,150top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks had a median pay of $44,390 a year in May 2025[1]. About 11,800 openings a year are projected through 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+2.5%[5]
Openings per year
11,800[2]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do reservation agents make?

BLS groups this work under the title Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks. In May 2025 the median wage was $44,390 a year, or $21.34 an hour, so half earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $49,630 a year, or $23.86 an hour[7]. For all occupations, the median was $50,980 a year[4].

Point Annual wage Hourly wage
10th percentile[3][8] $32,140 $15.45
25th percentile[3][8] $37,850 $18.20
Median[1] $44,390 $21.34
75th percentile[3][8] $59,640 $28.68
90th percentile[3][8] $78,150 $37.57

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $32,140[3]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary[9]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, certain bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[10]. About 118,710 people held these jobs[11].

Pay by state and city

Among 49 states and DC with published data, Michigan had the highest median at $60,220 a year, then Minnesota at $60,090 and California at $49,420[12]. West Virginia was lowest on the list at $34,030[12].

Texas had the most jobs at 18,410, followed by Florida at 14,740 and California at 10,580[13]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI had the highest median at $72,880, then Albuquerque, NM at $57,390[14]. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington had the most jobs at 10,630, with a median of $38,250[15]. New York-Newark-Jersey City had 7,210 jobs and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach had 6,750[15].

Show median pay in 49 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Michigan[12]$60,2201,980
Minnesota$60,0902,160
California$49,42010,580
Washington$48,5202,970
Georgia$47,8605,880
Illinois$47,8507,080
New Mexico$47,850600
Oklahoma$47,340920
District of Columbia$46,550100
Colorado$45,9603,650
Alaska$45,8701,000
Kentucky$45,8401,860
Arizona$45,7103,020
Rhode Island$45,420210
Hawaii$45,0201,590
North Carolina$44,6305,760
Louisiana$44,520520
Pennsylvania$44,3804,020
Massachusetts$44,2301,560
Virginia$44,1402,540
South Carolina$43,7401,010
Delaware$43,14070
Montana$43,110480
New York$42,9905,510
Arkansas$42,040430
Indiana$41,400550
Nevada$41,0002,660
New Hampshire$40,920150
Maryland$40,750720
Maine$40,700410
Oregon$40,5701,340
Missouri$40,5601,770
Idaho$40,230420
Florida$39,49014,740
Connecticut$39,380510
New Jersey$38,7802,780
Utah$38,6603,260
Tennessee$38,5301,410
Vermont$38,310140
Texas$38,22018,410
Nebraska$37,850650
Mississippi$37,730170
Iowa$36,880200
Alabama$36,620150
Ohio$36,0701,200
Wisconsin$35,950880
South Dakota$35,860230
Kansas$34,940180
North Dakota$34,870150
West Virginia$34,030100

How to become a reservation agent

The training details below come from a BLS profile that covers information clerks as a wider group, not only this job[16].

Some information clerks move up to other administrative jobs with more responsibility[19]. The wider profile names communication, interpersonal and organizational skills as important[20][21][22].

What reservation agents do

O*NET describes the work as making and confirming reservations for transportation or lodging, or selling transportation tickets[23]. Common tasks include:

Workers report titles such as airline ticket agent, reservation agent, station agent and baggage service agent[25].

Where they work

In the wider group of information clerks, traveler accommodation is the largest employer, at 19%[26]. Clerks work in nearly every industry[27]. Customer service work can be stressful, especially with unhappy customers[28]. Agents at airports or shipping counters lift and move heavy luggage or packages that may weigh up to 100 pounds[29]. BLS ranks injury and illness rates for these workers among the highest of any occupation, so safe lifting procedures matter[30]. Clerks at places open around the clock may work evenings, weekends and holidays[31]. Most information clerks work full time[32]. Only 0.9% of workers in this job were self-employed in 2025[33].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 120,100 to 123,100 jobs[5]. For all occupations, the projected growth is 3.5%[34]. The projection counts include self-employed workers[5].

BLS expects about 11,800 openings a year on average[2]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[2]. Each year, 3.9% of workers leave the labor force and 5.5% move to a different occupation[35].

Is it a good fit?

The facts show a median wage a little below the all-occupations median[1][4]. Entry needs a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training, with no related experience[6]. Growth is a bit slower than for all occupations, but openings are plentiful at about 11,800 a year[5][34][2]. The work can involve heavy lifting and irregular hours, and BLS notes a high injury rate[29][30][31]. Pay varies by place, from $34,030 in West Virginia to $60,220 in Michigan among listed states[12].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[36].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a reservation agent make an hour?
The median was $21.34 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $23.86[1][7]. The 10th percentile was $15.45 and the 90th was $37.57[8].
What education do you need to be a reservation agent?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with no related work experience[6].
How long does it take to learn the job?
BLS lists short-term on-the-job training[6]. For information clerks in general, it usually lasts a few weeks[17].
Which state pays reservation agents the most?
Michigan had the highest median at $60,220 a year, followed by Minnesota at $60,090[12].
Is the job in demand?
BLS projects 2.5% growth from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, and about 11,800 openings a year[5][34][2].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks in the US was $44,390 per year and $21.34 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: about 11,800 openings for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks: 10th percentile $32,140, 25th percentile $37,850, 75th percentile $59,640, 90th percentile $78,150. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks is projected to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 120,100 to 123,100 jobs (a change of +3,000). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks was $49,630 per year and $23.86 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks: 10th percentile $15.45, 25th percentile $18.20, 75th percentile $28.68, 90th percentile $37.57. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 118,710 people were employed as Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks jobs: Texas 18,410; Florida 14,740; California 10,580; Illinois 7,080; Georgia 5,880. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks (areas with at least 100 jobs): Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $72,880; Albuquerque, NM $57,390; Tulsa, OK $56,690; San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX $56,610; Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $51,190; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $51,130; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $50,170; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $49,990. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks jobs: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 10,630 (median $38,250); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 7,210 (median $41,600); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 6,750 (median $39,190); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 6,660 (median $47,850); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,340 (median $51,130); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 5,040 (median $47,860). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Information Clerks" covers Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. O*NET description of Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks. O*NET OnLine
  24. O*NET task list for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks. O*NET OnLine
  25. O*NET 43-4181.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Airline Ticket Agent, Airport Sales Agent, Baggage Service Agent, Corporate Travel Agent, Reservation Agent, Reservationist, Reservations Agent, Station Agent. O*NET OnLine
  26. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of information clerks in 2025: Traveler accommodation 19%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: 0.9% of Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  35. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks: 3.9% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.5% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  36. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.