Salaries for travel jobs climb year-on-year
Salaries for new standard travel jobs rose for the fourth consecutive year, according to data from C&M Recruitment.
Pay for jobs paying up to £40,000 jumped by 7.5% last year to £24,789, according to the 2018 Travel Salary Index.
Salaries rose by around 5.5% in 2017, 2016 and 2015.
Overall, average travel salaries rose 3.2% last year to stand at £26,854, following successive small increases of 1.6% in 2017, 1.8 % in 2016 and 1.5% in 2015.
Meanwhile, salaries for executive jobs (paying above £40,000) rose steadily by 1.9% in 2018 to an average of £55,603.
The growth was higher than the rises in previous years but executive pay remains below the annual peak of £58,418 seen in 2014.
However, after a big rise of 23% in 2017, the number of travel vacancies fell by 7% in 2018, while there was also a 14% fall in travel candidates last year after they rose by 40% in 2017.
C&M said despite the drop, both figures remain historically high, with candidate numbers standing at their second highest annual amount since the index began in 2012.
"Activity levels fell from 2017’s record year, but candidate numbers are at the second highest level we’ve seen and the number of new travel jobs remains above 2016’s total, so it is still a very healthy and competitive market," said Barbara Kolosinska, director at C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment.
"However, there continues to be a shortage of experienced, quality candidates and this looks to remain the case well into 2019, so we expect many travel companies to look to improve their recruitment package where possible in a bid to attract the best."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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