Travel Agents Salary
In Lexington-Fayette, KY, travel agents earn $48,720 at the median, or about $23.42 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $52,449 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 38.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About travel agents
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What this looks like in Lexington-Fayette
Travel agents pay in Lexington-Fayette tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 38.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for travel agents in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $50K | $54K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $49K | $47K |
| St. Louis | $46K | $49K |
| Springfield | $38K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level travel agents (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Travel Agents pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Travel Agents salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | $63K | +26% | N/A |
| District of Columbia | $62K | +23% | 160 |
| Montana | $61K | +22% | 200 |
| New Jersey | $61K | +22% | 1,660 |
| Connecticut | $61K | +21% | 650 |
| Vermont | $61K | +21% | 120 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +19% | 250 |
| Oregon | $57K | +13% | 620 |
| Utah | $57K | +13% | 440 |
| Colorado | $57K | +13% | 1,100 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +13% | 1,810 |
| North Carolina | $56K | +12% | 1,250 |
| Tennessee | $56K | +11% | 540 |
| New York | $56K | +11% | 3,180 |
| Washington | $55K | +10% | 1,710 |
| Kansas | $54K | +7% | 250 |
| Arizona | $52K | +3% | 1,100 |
| California | $51K | +2% | 4,760 |
| Florida | $50K | -0% | 9,430 |
| Nebraska | $50K | -1% | 240 |
| Texas | $50K | -1% | 4,310 |
| Kentucky | $49K | -2% | 220 |
| Maryland | $49K | -2% | 360 |
| Illinois | $49K | -2% | 2,120 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -2% | 160 |
| Georgia | $49K | -3% | 2,300 |
| Indiana | $49K | -3% | 640 |
| Idaho | $48K | -4% | 220 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -4% | 50 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -5% | 1,470 |
| Alaska | $48K | -5% | 190 |
| Alabama | $48K | -5% | 380 |
| Hawaii | $48K | -5% | 580 |
| Minnesota | $47K | -6% | 890 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | -6% | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $47K | -6% | 810 |
| Michigan | $46K | -8% | 1,150 |
| Ohio | $46K | -8% | 1,140 |
| Missouri | $45K | -9% | 1,500 |
| Iowa | $45K | -9% | 290 |
| Virginia | $45K | -10% | 1,050 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -11% | 250 |
| North Dakota | $45K | -11% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -11% | 120 |
| South Dakota | $45K | -11% | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $37K | -26% | 600 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -27% | 180 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -28% | 310 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -31% | 680 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track travel agents salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lexington-Fayette numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a travel agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 38.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for travel agents in Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new travel agents typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,191/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 58% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is travel agent a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for travel agents?
Lexington-Fayette pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do travel agents make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $48,720 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,520, and experienced travel agents can clear $73,900. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,270/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 38.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a travel agents salary go in Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median travel agents salary is worth about $52,449 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do travel agents get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.