Agents’ salary survey 2011 throws up key findings

Figures released by TMS Asia-Pacific as part of its 2011 Australian Travel/Hospitality Industry Salary Report show that while 54 percent of all industry staffers polled indicated they had received a pay rise, this was in fact a drop on the 60 percent figure recorded last year.

Adding further fuel to what TMS general manager Australia/NZ, Sally Matheson said was a “worrying trend”, the number of employees who saw their salaries increase in excess of six percent over the last 12 months also decreased – from 14 percent to 12 percent.

“The Australian findings are very different from the Asia region where 75 percent of all respondents participating in the 2011 TMS Asia-Pacific Survey indicated they had received a pay increase in the last 12 months,” Matheson said.

“That figure represents a seven percent increase over the 68 per cent of Asia-based respondents receiving a pay rise and could be seen as a very strong indication that employers in Asia are attempting to retain their good staff with increased remuneration as the ‘war for talent’ continues to impact on a sector showing ongoing positive growth.

“It’s the same with the level of increase in Asia with 27 percent of those respondents receiving a pay rise in excess of six percent – more than double the figure recorded in Australia.

“Judging from what the 2011 Report has unearthed it would appear that employers actually have the upper hand at the moment,” Matheson said.

Average salaries ranged from $40,000 for a Documentation Consultant in New South Wales to $20,436 for a Personal Assistant in Victoria.

State-by-state, New South Wales recorded the highest average salary, at $81,760, followed by Victoria’s $80,531.

These two states ranked considerably higher than any other, with Queensland ($58,579), ACT ($58,025), Western Australia ($55,219) and South Australia ($55,163) all left trailing.

The corporate travel sector recorded the highest average salary by industry at an impressive $95,057. This was followed by the cruise sector ($81,000) and hospitality which averaged $79,122.

Matheson said the survey results indicated that the travel sector is not as poorly rewarded as its reputation suggests, with several senior roles including director of sales, training & development manager, project manager and account manager all commanding six-figure salaries