Travel Agents Salary
In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, travel agents earn $55,260 at the median, or about $26.57 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $50,790 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 86.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Travel agents pay in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $50K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 83.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for travel agents in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $50K | $44K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $58K | $50K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $49K | $44K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $59K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level travel agents (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $40K 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
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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a travel agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 83.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for travel agents in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new travel agents typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,291/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 136% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $50K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for travel agents?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do travel agents make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $55,260 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,190, and experienced travel agents can clear $77,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,736/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 83.6% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median travel agents salary is worth about $50,790 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.