C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment’s 2019 H1 Travel Salary Index

(TRAVPR.COM) UNITED KINGDOM - August 2nd, 2019 -

Travel Wages Jump In H1 As Candidate Shortage Bites

C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment’s 2019 H1 Travel Salary Index

• Travel salaries see strong rise compared to first half of 2018
• Wages rising faster in North than South
• Candidate and vacancy numbers both fall back to 2016 levels

Strong six months for travel salaries

Average salaries for a new job in travel jumped by 4.65 per cent (or £1,230) in the first six months of 2019 after a big rise in Northern wages, according to the 2019 H1 Travel Salary Index from C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment, which looked at all new roles registered at the companies during the first half of the year.

The increase saw average wages reach £27,690, while pay for standard travel jobs (those with salaries up to £40,000) rose by 1.50 per cent to £24,817 compared to the first six months of 2018.

Across the country, the North led the way with a big wage rise of 6.03 per cent (or £1,378) to reach £24,234, while salaries stood at £28,899 in the South of the UK after a smaller pay increase of 2.19 per cent (or £620).

The overall salary rise has caused the share of entry-level placements (those paying up to £22,000) to fall from 38 per cent in 2018 to 34 per cent this year, while the percentage of mid-level placements (those paying between £22,001 and £29,999) has held steady at 30 per cent and the number of senior placements (those paying between £30,000 and £39,999) has dipped slightly from 23 per cent to 22 per cent. However, there has been a big increase in executive placements (those paying £40,000 and above) with the percentage rising from 8 per cent last year to 13 per cent in 2019.

Travel recruitment activity slows

The number of new travel vacancies and jobseekers both dipped in the first six months of the year and fell back to levels similar to those in 2016. There was an 11 per cent fall in new travel jobs compared to 2018 and a 17 per cent fall from 2017, but 2019’s total was up by 6 per cent from 2016. The outlook was slightly worse for candidates, with the number falling by 25 per cent from last year and 24 per cent from 2017’s record high, but was up by 1 per cent from 2016.

Speaking about the stats, Barbara Kolosinska, Director at C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment said: “We’ve seen a big rise in salaries so far this year with the average new travel job now paying nearly 5 per cent more than last year. That’s got to be hugely appealing to candidates and will hopefully lead many potential jobseekers to start considering the career possibilities that are out there.

“However, one of the reasons that wages have risen this year is because there continues to be a lack of quality candidates in the market and this is forcing some travel companies to improve their packages and offer higher salaries in order to get the best applicants.

“There has also been a notable increase in executive travel job placements, with roles paying in excess of £40,000 now accounting for 13 per cent of all placements compared to 8 per cent last year. This is partly a natural result of wage inflation, but the size of increase suggests that this isn’t the sole factor, so it will be interesting to see if the trend continues throughout the rest of the year.”

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All figures are drawn from the salaries of the new vacancies advertised with C&M Travel Recruitment and C&M Executive Recruitment.

C&M Travel Recruitment was established in 1998 and is the largest and most successful specialist travel recruitment company in the UK.

For further information please contact: Owen Mckeon (Content Manager - 0161 238 4497 / owen@candm.co.uk) or Barbara Kolosinska (Director - 07507 602 069 / barbara@candm.co.uk).

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