Travel salaries rise as number of job seekers falls
The average salary for a new travel job rose 2.9% last month to set a new record high of £28,382 following a 38% year on year drop in candidates.
The figure topped the previous high set last June and is only the second time that average salaries have broken through the £28,000 barrier, according to the latest Travel Salary Index from C&M Recruitment.
This also means that wages are up 4.9% year on year.
However, there has been a 1.55% fall in starting salaries in the north, where the average pay has slipped to £23,656 compared with £28,777 in the south following almost an 8% rise in April.
The increase pushed the average salary in the south up to its highest level since June 2018.
It was also a very positive month for standard travel jobs, paying up to £40,000, with wages jumping 3.77% to reach their highest point of 2019 so far.
The average rolling 12-month average standard salary was up 7.17% to £25,752.
C&M said a shortage of quality candidates was continuing to affect the market. The number of vacancies was also down 23% year on year to its lowest level since April 2014.
C&M director Barbara Kolosinska said: "It really was a month of two halves. In terms of salaries, everything was very positive with wages for new travel jobs reaching a record high while we also had a massive 8% jump in pay in the south.
"However, at the same time we continued to see a candidate shortage with many of the best travel professionals choosing to remain in their current roles rather than seek out any new opportunities.
"This has clearly resulted in a huge demand for quality candidates and, as our salary results show, companies are increasingly willing to improve their wages and benefits packages in an effort to attract the best applicants."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt