Travel Manager Salary & Attitudes.

<FONT SIZE="+3"><B> Travel Manager Salary & Attitudes</B>

Our annual Travel Manager Salary & Attitudes Survey showed a mix of optimism and pessimism on the part of respondents this year. They made more money in 1995 than they did in 1994, yet many of them don't feel recognized for their work. Many believe that jobs will be scarcer because more companies will outsource the job of travel manager, yet many also think there are greater opportunities in the profession than there were two years ago.

The changes that have occurred in the travel industry over the past few years are no doubt contributing to the cautious mood. Outsourcing means that travel managers and other travel professionals must take on other responsibilities to justify their existence-which close to 40 percent of respondents did last year. Corporate cost-cutting, coupled with the seller's market in both the airline and hotel industries, is forcing buyers to be ever more creative in streamlining costs. In other words, many travel managers are working harder than ever before-and feeling less appreciated.

But in spite of some reservations about the future of the industry in general, survey participants are hopeful about their own futures. They believe that certain changes-for instance, the proliferation of travel management technology-will mean more job opportunities for them over the next few years.

In fact, respondents are more willing to consider a job change than they were two years ago, and fewer expect to be at their current jobs in two years. But better opportunities aren't necessarily enough to spur a job change. The main reason cited for considering a switch was-you guessed it-more money.

This year's survey yielded 500 responses from people employed in travel management. Although not everyone holds the title of travel manager, director, or coordinator-respondents' titles are diverse, ranging from meeting planner to purchasing manager-all have responsibility for travel arrangements at their company. Half of them spend at least 50 percent of their time on travel management, and they have an average of 10 years' experience in the profession.

A few of the survey findings were particularly surprising. For example, a recurring topic among travel managers lately has been the need to communicate to their companies' executives about their value to the company. But only 27 percent-hardly more than last year-said they used this tactic. And fewer people reported being able to earn incentive pay based on their department's performance.

The big picture, however, looks good. Respondents said their companies' executives were realizing the value of travel management more than they did a year ago.

<H3>Bringing Home More Bacon

</H3>Survey respondents are taking home more in their paychecks this year, with the biggest increase seen in the $40,000-to-$44,999 category. All categories starting at $35,000 saw an increase, while the percentage of people making $20,000 to $34,999 declined. The exception was in the under-$20,000 category, which rose slightly.

The 1996 average salary is $48,200, a healthy increase over both 1994's figure of $41,700, and an even healthier one over 1995's lower figure of $38,500. Predictably, average salaries were higher in major markets such as Boston, New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco (see chart, Page 1). The latter two, in particular, far outpaced the national average at $62,900. But the total average in four other major markets- Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Atlanta-was below the national average. The average for all other markets was $44,000.

<H3>...Yet Smaller Raises

</H3>A majority of respondents reported that their salary went up in 1995. More than 70 percent said they are making more money-an increase over 1994, when 67.5 percent did.

But, although salaries are higher overall, the average salary increase last year among survey participants was 5.2 percent, down from 1994's 5.6 percent. This finding could indicate that more people in the travel management field are starting their jobs at higher salary levels than they were in the past, subsequently receiving lower raises.

<H3>Not Tooting Their Own Horns

</H3>Surprisingly, although travel managers often have spoken about the need to prove their worth to their employers in light of companies' desire to cut costs and outsource, they are not yet doing it much more than they were last year. More did, however, take on additional responsibilities, the most striking percentage change. Fewer changed careers or found positions outside travel management, a positive note. Write-in answers tabulated as "other" included taking travel management certification classes and getting a promotion.

<H3>Appreciation Counts

</H3>While some people would dispute that money isn't everything, in the case of our survey respondents, the saying is true. The percentage of people who said they do not feel appreciated on the job rose this year-an interesting finding in light of the fact that they are making more money. Now, there is almost a 50-50 split between those who feel recognized for their work and those who don't.

<H3>Technology Adds To Plate

</H3>Air, hotel and car rental remain the top three areas of responsibility among the survey respondents. Agency selection, in fifth place last year, moved up to fourth, displacing rail travel, and ground transport, in seventh last year, moved to fifth. Two new categories reflect the emergence of technology in the travel business: online booking and electronic ticketing. Write-in answers listed in the "other" category included airfare auditing, handling cash advances, trade show coordination and videoconferencing.

<H3>Turnover To Come

</H3>Travel professionals foresee less job stability this year. Compared to last year, there is a substantial increase-56 percent-in the number of people more willing to switch jobs. But just because people are more willing to change jobs doesn't mean they think they actually will: The percentage of respondents who expect to be at another company or working in a non-travel-related job (but not including those who expect to be promoted within their firm) is less than half the amount who are willing to consider such a change.

<H3>A Cloudy Hiring Outlook

</H3>This year's responses are significantly different from last year's, with more than twice as many respondents expecting companies to outsource the travel function, and half as many saying that corporations will hire more travel managers. At the same time, the same people who said companies would hire fewer travel managers also said travel management will become more important to corporations, even though they will be handling it differently. Few people thought travel management would become less important.

<H3>Personal Optimism

</H3>Even though respondents expect companies to hire fewer travel managers, more of them think travel management provides greater opportunity than it did two years ago. Twice as many as last year said opportunity is "much greater," while 25 percent more said "somewhat greater." While this seems like a contradiction to the previous question, the top reasons given for their optimism include more attention paid to travel management by senior management (77 percent), advancing travel technology that requires specific expertise (63.5) and more sophistication on the part of suppliers in travel negotiations, requiring commensurate industry and negotiating knowledge (56.6) on the part of travel arrangers. The answers also indicate that while many respondents are not that optimistic about the industry, they are more hopeful about their own careers-or perhaps it's just wishful thinking. Of those pointing to less opportunity in the field, the major reason cited was outsourcing (80.3 percent).

<H3>Corporate Recognition

</H3>On another positive note, almost 46 percent more executives recognized the value of travel management in 1995 than they did in 1994. Roughly the same percentage stayed the same in their assessment of its importance, but only a small percentage valued it less.