Travel Agents
Also called: Destination Specialist, Travel Agent, Travel Consultant, Travel CounselorPlan 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 7 of its 8 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 0.2% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 90% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $47,640 | $44,790 to $57,410 | 380 |
| Alaska | $47,650 | $46,540 to $59,260 | 190 |
| Arizona | $51,800 | $44,600 to $63,030 | 1,100 |
| Arkansas | $36,600 | $36,390 to $45,180 | 180 |
| California | $51,030 | $45,670 to $58,760 | 4,760 |
| Colorado | $56,570 | $48,370 to $62,500 | 1,100 |
| Connecticut | $60,640 | $48,890 to $71,970 | 650 |
| Delaware | not published | not published | 210 |
| District of Columbia | $61,560 | $47,410 to $75,400 | 160 |
| Florida | $50,060 | $39,260 to $63,540 | 9,430 |
| Georgia | $48,880 | $35,630 to $60,050 | 2,300 |
| Guam | $22,650 | $21,970 to $25,440 | 50 |
| Hawaii | $47,560 | $31,880 to $65,140 | 580 |
| Idaho | $48,110 | $29,990 to $57,700 | 220 |
| Illinois | $49,090 | $44,540 to $59,240 | 2,120 |
| Indiana | $48,530 | $36,310 to $59,930 | 640 |
| Iowa | $45,440 | $36,470 to $57,360 | 290 |
| Kansas | $53,600 | $46,080 to $60,040 | 250 |
| Kentucky | $49,370 | $44,120 to $58,860 | 220 |
| Louisiana | $35,970 | $33,920 to $47,040 | 310 |
| Maine | not published | not published | 120 |
| Maryland | $49,160 | $38,550 to $57,540 | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $56,450 | $46,200 to $66,300 | 1,810 |
| Michigan | $46,250 | $39,090 to $58,500 | 1,150 |
| Minnesota | $47,260 | $35,170 to $71,830 | 890 |
| Mississippi | $49,050 | $39,630 to $59,990 | 160 |
| Missouri | $45,460 | $31,180 to $57,130 | 1,500 |
| Montana | $61,330 | $46,500 to $68,480 | 200 |
| Nebraska | $49,690 | $37,220 to $55,260 | 240 |
| Nevada | $63,400 | $63,400 to $63,400 | not published |
| New Hampshire | $47,190 | $42,860 to $60,470 | 130 |
| New Jersey | $61,090 | $45,900 to $73,370 | 1,660 |
| New Mexico | $44,700 | $30,640 to $46,500 | 120 |
| New York | $55,580 | $47,990 to $73,480 | 3,180 |
| North Carolina | $56,180 | $45,560 to $63,810 | 1,250 |
| North Dakota | $44,740 | $37,440 to $59,710 | 150 |
| Ohio | $46,000 | $37,920 to $59,530 | 1,140 |
| Oklahoma | $36,980 | $21,120 to $47,410 | 600 |
| Oregon | $56,810 | $48,800 to $63,400 | 620 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,720 | $40,520 to $61,620 | 1,470 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,960 | $22,190 to $27,460 | 460 |
| Rhode Island | $59,790 | $45,950 to $76,710 | 250 |
| South Carolina | $34,560 | $30,550 to $49,600 | 680 |
| South Dakota | $44,510 | $37,990 to $58,330 | 200 |
| Tennessee | $55,640 | $46,580 to $63,810 | 540 |
| Texas | $49,500 | $42,550 to $62,060 | 4,310 |
| Utah | $56,670 | $37,970 to $63,680 | 440 |
| Vermont | $60,560 | $50,150 to $64,010 | 120 |
| Virginia | $45,260 | $35,430 to $59,400 | 1,050 |
| Washington | $55,260 | $48,010 to $61,750 | 1,710 |
| West Virginia | $44,760 | $37,880 to $45,010 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $47,080 | $37,530 to $57,030 | 810 |
| Wyoming | $48,030 | $36,150 to $53,850 | 50 |
Nationally: $50,160. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 7 of its 8 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Collect payment for transportation and accommodations from customer. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compute cost of travel and accommodations, using calculator, computer, carrier tariff books, and hotel rate books, or quote package tour's costs. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Record and maintain information on clients, vendors, and travel packages. | Not published |
| Not much | Converse with customer to determine destination, mode of transportation, travel dates, financial considerations, and accommodations required. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Plan, describe, arrange, and sell itinerary tour packages and promotional travel incentives offered by various travel carriers. | Not published |
| AI alone | Book transportation and hotel reservations, using computer or telephone. | Not published |
See all 8 tasks
| AI + software | Print or request transportation carrier tickets, using computer printer system or system link to travel carrier. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide customer with brochures and publications containing travel information, such as local customs, points of interest, or foreign country regulations. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 2 of the 8 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 8 tasks fall under 8 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #39 Determine values or prices of goods or services
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs | |||
| Prepare documentation for contracts, applications, or permits | |||
| Execute financial transactions | |||
| Collect data about consumer needs or opinions | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Sell products or services |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A plan or strategy20%
- Advice or a recommendation17%
- A document or report4%
- Math or a calculation2%
- An app or website2%
How they worked with Claude
8% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for travel agents specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 26,077 moves out
- 1 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 6%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 29,834 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 3%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers Very high +0.1% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 31% high school
- 11% postsecondary certificate
- 6% some college
- 37% associate's
- 14% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 17% high school
- 25% some college
- 14% associate's
- 32% bachelor's
- 9% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 792 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Selling Skills and Sales Operations and Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/41-3041.00