The average salary in the travel industry rose by 8.4% in 2024 to reach £37,036, according to C&M Travel Recruitment, but recruitment activity fell.
The average pay increase of £2,880 followed growth of 11.6% in 2023 and 11.5% in 2022, with typical travel salaries having risen by 34.9% since 2021.
The number of new candidates searching for jobs dipped by 5% last year, following rises of 8% in 2023 and 26% in 2022, while job placements dropped by 21% and vacancies by 27%.
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C&M Travel Recruitment managing director Barbara Kolosinska welcomed a “very significant” jump in wages last year, adding: “Travel has never offered the best pay so in order for us to be competitive with other industries, salaries had to rise – and this news should be welcomed across the sector.”
C&M Travel Recruitment’s 2024 Travel Salary Index suggests ‘standard travel roles’ – those paying below £40,000 – recorded annual wage growth of 4.7% last year, compared with a 5.1% fall for ‘executive travel roles’ paying £40,000 and above.
The percentage of travel employees entering the upper wage bracket has risen considerably in the past two years. The proportion of candidates securing roles paying at least £40,000 stood at 9.1% in 2022, before rising to 17.5% in 2023 and reaching 28.1% last year.
At the lower end of the wage scale, 26.8% of new travel jobs in 2024 came with salaries of less than £30,000, in contrast with 40.9% in 2023 and 47.6% in 2022.
Although job placements and vacancies both fell back significantly last year, C&M Travel Recruitment said the second half of the year was “more encouraging” as placements fell by just 6% in that period and vacancies fell by 18%.
Average wages in the business travel sector rose by 14.3% – off the back of 22.5% growth in 2023 – to stand at £37,057. However, the number of candidates being placed in business travel jobs fell back by 55%.
Kolosinska said: “Last year was a slower one for travel recruitment than we would have hoped, with vacancies and placements both dipping from the previous two years.
“However, the second half of 2024 had many encouraging signs, suggesting that 2025 could be much busier.
“With the peaks season performing well, many travel companies are looking to ramp up their recruitment across the coming months, which will create great opportunities for candidates as well as increased competition to secure the top talent.”
All figures were drawn from the salaries of the new vacancies advertised with C&M Travel Recruitment.
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