When I sit down with hiring managers and directors across the UK travel industry, one topic always rises to the top of the agenda: pay. Not just what travel businesses are paying, but whether current benefits packages are competitive enough to attract and retain the talent they need — especially as we head into another busy year for travel.
We’ve now seen four consecutive years of travel salary increases, and there’s a lot beneath that headline figure. The nuance matters — and understanding it means we can hire smarter, benchmark better and build teams that thrive in 2026.
Here’s how I see the salary and benefits landscape shaping up for UK travel right now.
Travel Wage Growth: Still Rising, But More Slowly
Our own Travel Salary Index 2025 shows that the average travel salary increased by 1.78% in 2025 to £37,695. It’s the fourth successive year of annual increases, and the average wage for a new travel job has now risen more than a third (37.3%) since 2021.
But here’s the key point: the pace of growth has slowed considerably. In 2024, travel salaries jumped by 8.43%, and in the two years before that, they rose by more than 11% annually.
So why the slowdown? There's several factors at play:
- Market conditions tightened throughout 2025, with vacancies softening and candidate activity easing
- Employers have become more cautious across the UK as a whole. Recent data from Adzuna shows the total number of advertised jobs across the UK fell in January to levels not seen since the pandemic – even as average pay climbs nationwide
- Salary expansion at the lower end of the market has been patchy, particularly for standard roles — more on that below
Senior Roles Are Pulling Ahead
One of the clearest signals from our data is that senior and high-earning roles are seeing the strongest growth.
In 2025, senior travel positions (those paying £40,000 and above) recorded an 8.23% bump in pay, and we saw a big uptick in the number of roles on offer at £80,000-plus.
By contrast, standard travel jobs — those paying under £40,000 — experienced a 1.84% annual pay fall last year. That’s the first decline we’ve seen in four years, even though the average standard role is still paying substantially more than it was back in 2021.
From the perspective of a hiring leader, these trends have clear implications:
- If you’re recruiting for mid-to-senior level roles, you’re competing in a market where salary expectations are rising more sharply
- For entry-level or standard jobs, wage growth has softened — meaning that non-salary components (such as career paths, flexibility, culture, progression, benefits) are increasingly decisive
- Alternatively, blending a competitive base with the right commission incentives can be a powerful way to attract high performers without simply escalating fixed costs
Context from the Wider UK Labour Market
Understanding travel salaries in 2026 means we also need to look at the broader UK jobs landscape. Over the past year, total job vacancies in the UK have dropped and competition for roles has risen – even as advertised pay continues to grow.
This highlights an important point: while travel has its own salary dynamics, it doesn’t operate in isolation. Candidates often compare offers against other sectors, and while travel pay has risen in recent years, we still risk losing talent to industries with stronger wage momentum.
For travel employers looking to entice top talent into our industry, the best approach is to offer an attractive salary combined with a great company brand, as well as flexibility, clear career paths and incentives that only the travel industry can offer – such as fam trips and holiday discounts.
Final Thoughts
Yes, pay in the travel industry has risen over the past four years, but the slowing pace of growth and uneven nature of increases mean hiring leaders must think more innovatively about how they attract and retain talent.
1. Benchmark regularly, not occasionally
Annual or quarterly salary reviews are great — but market conditions change swiftly. Keep your data refreshed and relevant
2. Segment your offers
Senior roles deserve a different pay strategy to entry-level positions. One size does not fit all
3. Focus on the total offer
Combine an attractive salary with progression opportunities, a strong company culture and perks unique to the travel industry
If you’d like up-to-the-minute benchmark data tailored specifically to your area — whether that’s retail, cruise, corporate travel or luxury — I’d be delighted to talk with you.
We’ve been doing this since 1998, so we have a lot of stats! But understanding the numbers is one thing. Turning them into hiring success is quite another.
Let’s build better teams together this year.
By Barbara Kolosinska, Co-Owner and Managing Director at C&M Travel Recruitment