A north-south travel salary split emerged last month with pay in the north rising to the highest level since January but southern wages dropping to the lowest point since last November.
Wages for the typical travel job in the north of the UK rose by 4.19% in July to £22,891 with Manchester leading the way.
The south of the country saw a small 0.38% dip, pushing average wages back to £26,396, which is the lowest total since November 2015.
This means that salaries in the north have risen three times in the past four months, while southern wages have dipped three times in the same period, according to new data compiled by C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment.
Travel salaries overall fell by 1.58% in July to £25,399 – the lowest figure so far this year, but is still 0.89% up from the same month last year.
Despite July’s figure falling to the lowest point since last October, it remains above the average 2015 monthly figure, which demonstrates the strength of the market so far this year.
The recruitment group’s director, Barbara Kolosinska, said: “Salaries for new travel jobs in Manchester and across the rest of the north excelled in July with wages rising by an average of 4.19%.
“This is the third rise in the past four months and it is clearly now a great time for job seekers to take advantage of the attractive salaries on offer.
“Overall, travel salaries in the UK fell last month, but this has been an exceptionally strong year so far for travel wages, with many companies continuing to increase their salaries and benefits packages in order to attract top quality candidates.”
Both the number of new travel jobs being made available and the number of candidates searching for roles fell slightly in July, as the summer slowdown began to kick in.
With many people taking holidays, the period is traditionally one of the quietest of the year for the travel recruitment sector, but activity is expected to pick up strongly in September.