Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks
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.
Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks make and confirm reservations for transportation or lodging, or sell transportation tickets. The role reports a median annual salary of $41,460 in the US and is showing modest growth of 3% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows high AI exposure (0.77 on a 0-1 scale) — significant portions of core tasks are already being automated. The most in-demand skills for the role include Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £28,746 a year for Travel agents (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £25,357 to £37,527 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 6212). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Clerical support workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 4. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
- Geography
- Psychology
- Foreign Language
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks do?
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.
How much does Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks earn?
The median annual salary for Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks in the US is $41,460.
What is the job outlook for Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks?
The role is showing modest growth of 3% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 131,900 workers.
How do I become reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks?
Our AI-durability model gives Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks a score of 0.77 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at high AI risk — many core tasks are already being automated by generative AI and workflow tools. Focus on AI-adjacent skills or plan a pivot to an AI-durable adjacent role.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerks has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.