Travel Agents Salary
In New Orleans-Metairie, LA, travel agents earn $35,990 at the median, or about $17.3 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.6), which stretches that salary to about $38,866 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,331/month, about 54.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in New Orleans-Metairie?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New Orleans-Metairie’s Regional Price Parity (92.6). 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 New Orleans-Metairie
Pay for travel agents in New Orleans-Metairie runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,331/month, which is 53.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.6 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for travel agentss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for travel agents in metros near New Orleans-Metairie, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $44K | $48K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $48K | $47K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $50K | $51K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $60K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
Entry-level travel agents (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $51K 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 New Orleans-Metairie numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a travel agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in New Orleans-Metairie?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $36K, rent takes 53.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,331/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for travel agents in New Orleans-Metairie?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new travel agents typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,861/month. At HUD’s $1,331/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $36K here vs. $50K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does New Orleans-Metairie compare to the national average for travel agents?
New Orleans-Metairie pays $36K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — below the national median.
How much do travel agents make in New Orleans-Metairie, LA?
The median is $35,990 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,020, and experienced travel agents can clear $82,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in New Orleans-Metairie?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,492/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,331/month, which eats 53.4% 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 New Orleans-Metairie?
New Orleans-Metairie has a Regional Price Parity of 92.6 (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 $38,866 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.