Hiring a travel agent in Albuquerque, NM

Do Albuquerque residents in sales and related work earn more than employers in the Albuquerque, NM area pay?

Albuquerque residents working in sales and related occupations earn a median of $31,109 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $49,445 as the median of the 18 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Albuquerque, NM area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 37%, with the employers figure the higher of the two.

Both sides of that figure describe the whole sales and related group, not this one role. In the Albuquerque, NM area the group covers 18 occupations BLS publishes a wage for, from cashiers at $30,540 to sales engineers at $136,260 (BLS OEWS, May 2025), with travel agents at $44,700 inside it.

That comparison is between two different measures, not a pay gap. The two weight the same occupation group differently: the Census figure is the midpoint across the people who actually hold those jobs, so a group carrying a few very well paid occupations is pulled toward them, while the BLS figure is the midpoint across the 18 published occupation wages, which counts each of those occupations once whatever its headcount. Census also counts where people live and BLS counts where the jobs are, and the two cover different populations, Census the civilian employed population 16 and over, BLS wage-and-salary jobs only. Read the number against other cities, where the same definitional difference applies on both sides, rather than as a shortfall.

Published wages across this group in the metro run above what Albuquerque residents in it earn, which usually means employers here draw this talent from beyond the city line rather than from inside it.

Is the talent actually in Albuquerque?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. O*NET OnLine, SOC 41-3041.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 38.7% of Albuquerque adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501, residents of Albuquerque aged 25 and over.

The average Albuquerque commute runs 22.2 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 12.8% of Albuquerque workers already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that. Census ACS 5-year 2023, place-level commuting characteristics for Albuquerque.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Bernalillo County, retail trade employs 38,507 and turns over 12.5% a quarter, with 6,795 hires against 7,697 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $3,210 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 44-45.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about travel agents. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a high-churn market, where speed matters more than a perfect fit.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's $44,700 median in the Albuquerque, NM area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would bill roughly $8,940 to $13,410 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Questions employers ask about hiring a travel agent in Albuquerque

What does it cost to hire a travel agent in Albuquerque?

Tier I to Tier VI, $6,240 to $54,340 per search, set by the seniority of the role and never by salary or location. A contingency firm billing 20 to 30% of this role's $44,700 median wage in the Albuquerque, NM area (BLS OEWS, May 2025) would charge roughly $8,940 to $13,410 on the first year salary alone.

What should an offer for a travel agent in Albuquerque look like?

Employers in the Albuquerque, NM area pay travel agents a median of $44,700, with the middle half of the market between $32,620 and $46,500 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A band set below $32,620 competes for the bottom quarter of that market.

Do Albuquerque residents in sales and related work earn more than employers in the Albuquerque, NM area pay?

Albuquerque residents working in sales and related occupations earn a median of $31,109 (Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011), against $49,445 as the median of the 18 wages BLS publishes for that same occupation group in the Albuquerque, NM area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), a difference of 37%. Both figures cover the whole occupation group rather than this one role, and one counts where people live while the other counts where the jobs are, so the percentage is not a pay gap.

Is the talent for this role already in Albuquerque?

This is a job zone 3 occupation and does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 38.7% of Albuquerque adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501).

Related

• Hiring Travel Agents: the role, the pay, the process
• Recruiting services in Albuquerque
• Every New Mexico city we cover

Albuquerque is the largest of 1 New Mexico cities in this dataset.