The Salaries of Ticket Sales Agents

by Aurelio Locsin
Ticket sales agents can help choose the best schedule for your airline trip.


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When you need a ticket to travel on a plane, train or bus, you rely on the services of ticket sales agents. These workers not only sell passage on public transportation but also help you choose the best schedules and answer any questions about baggage and comfort. They are also called reservation agents.


As with other types of information clerk jobs, ticket agent jobs typically require only a high school diploma, though some employers prefer those with some college education or an associate degree. Employers provide on-the-job training about company policies and procedures. Workers must have good communication and people skills because they deal with ticket buyers in person or over the phone. Because ticket purchases are normally recorded in an electronic database, agents also require computer skills. The Bureau of Labor Statistics placed the average wages of ticket sales agents at $16.19 per hour or $33,670 per year as of May 2011.


Air transportation companies were the biggest employer of ticket sales agents, accounting for more than two-thirds of all positions. They were also the third highest paying employer at $17.17 per hour or $35,700 per year. Travel and reservation services had almost 12 percent of all jobs at a mean rate of $14.93 per hour or $31,050 per year. The highest paying employer was rail transportation, averaging $23.06 per hour or $47,960 per year. They were followed by office administrative services at a mean $18.01 per hour or $37,460 per year.

State Rankings

The best opportunities for ticket sales agents were in high-population states, where more people required more transportation. Texas, the second most populous state, led the list with almost 12 percent of the jobs at mean salaries of $16.97 per hour or $35,300 per year. Florida ranked second with 10 percent of the jobs averaging $15.15 per hour or $31,520 per year. California brought up third with 8 percent of the positions at a mean $16.70 per hour or $34,740 per year. Oklahoma had the highest paying employers with a mean of $19.91 per hour or $41,420 per year. The District of Columbia, which the Labor Department classified with states, was second with a mean of $18.62 per hour or $38,720 per year. Michigan came in third, averaging $18.42 per hour or $38,310 per year.

City Rankings

Metropolitan areas with high populations also provided the most jobs for ticket sales agents. Unfortunately, wages at these locations were lower than the average for all agents throughout the country. At the top for numbers of people employed in the field was the New York City metropolitan area, with more than 5 percent of the jobs averaging $16.62 per hour or $34,580 per year. Los Angeles, the second most populous metro area, accounted for almost 4 percent of the jobs at a mean $16.86 per hour or $35,060 per year. Miami ranked third with almost the same percentage of jobs as L.A. but with a lower mean of $15.15 per hour or $31,510 per year. The highest paying urban area was Little Rock, Arkansas, at a mean $20.03 per hour or $41,660 per year. It was followed by Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, at a mean $20.02 per hour or $41,630 per year, and then Huntsville, Alabama, at a mean $20 per hour or $41,600 per year.

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