Travel salaries rise to near seven-year record high

Average pay throughout the sector now stands at £28,185, according to C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment’s monthly Travel Salary Index.

The figure is just £197 shy of the £28,382 peak achieved in April – the highest sum recorded since C&M launched the index in 2012.

According to C&M, the June spike can be attributed to a significant increase in the number of roles becoming available in the £40,000 to £50,000 range, as well as a sharp rise in sales in the north of the UK to £25,464 – a record high.

Average wages for standard travel jobs – those paying below £40,000 – fell 0.92% in June to £24,073, albeit still up 5.2% on this time last year.

Both the number of new candidates and vacancies fell in June; new candidate numbers have now fallen year-on-year the past 13 months, while vacancies are down year-on-year the past five months.

However, falls of 4% and 2% respectively “suggest the market is regaining balance” said C&M.

“Salaries rose again last month and it’s become somewhat of a trend to see wages constantly rise compared to the same months last year while the number of new jobseekers falls,” said C&M director Barbara Kolosinska.

“It has been a candidate-driven market for some time now, and this is becoming ever truer as each week passes.

“There are some incredibly attractive vacancies out there with terrific salaries available, but many people simply aren’t looking to move roles at the moment – this could be to do with continuing concerns about Brexit, the potential impact of Boris Johnson as the new prime minister or simply the distractions of the summer.

“While travel companies continue to battle for the industry’s top talent, they need to ensure they do all they can to offer attractive salaries and great packages in order to give applicants a clear reason to choose them over their competitors.”