Pay for standard jobs in the travel industry jumped by the biggest level in four years during 2016.
The rise of 5.52% to £21,887 followed an increase of 5.27% in 2015.
This means that salaries for a typical new job in travel have grown by £2,185 in the past two years, according to new calculations.
Average overall travel pay reached £25,626 in 2016, a lesser rise of 1.80% from the previous year. But is still represented the biggest annual increase since 2012, following growth of 1.46% in 2015, a fall of 0.08% in 2014 and a 1.66% rise in 2013.
There was also a 1.53% increase in travel salaries paying above £40,000 a year, with the average new senior position now paying £54,110. However this remains below the peak figure of £58,418 in 2014.
The number of people gaining jobs in travel jobs rose by 6% in 2016, but there were single digit annual falls for both the number of new candidates and vacancies, the latest travel salary index complied by C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment reveals.
Travel salaries in the south of the country rose at a far faster pace than in the north for the second year in succession, with the wage gap growing to nearly £5,500,
Pay rose by 3.58% in the south in 2016 to reach an average of £27,499, while wages grew by just 0.82% in the north to an average of £22,079. This follows growth in 2015 of 3.40% and 1.14%, respectively.
C&M director Barbara Kolosinska said: “With wages for the typical travel job increasing by 5.52%, I think most people would agree that 2016 was a strong year for salaries.
“It was certainly an eventful 12 months, but it’s fantastic to see that pay increased for standard roles and executive positions both in the north and the south. That’s a clear sign that things are going in the right direction.
“2016 was a busy year for the travel recruitment industry with many companies looking to expand their team, but there is still a lack of quality candidates in the market.
“However, this means that the right applicant can take advantage of these opportunities – and secure a very attractive salary package too.”
She added: “We’ve had an extremely busy start to 2017, and we remain cautiously optimistic that it will be another positive year for the industry.
“In terms of wage growth, business travel and luxury travel jobs are likely to see the biggest rises, with quality marketing and sales candidates also set to be very much in demand.”