Salaries Stagnate for Small & Midsize Travel Managers

Small & Midsize Travel Manager 2025 Average Salary: $121,992

In 2024, the first time BTN isolated year over year salary comparisons for small and midsize travel managers, the results were a mixed bag. On the surface, salary advances looked lukewarm, but looking at the active cohort in each year’s study—rather than comparing the 2023 cohort to the 2024 cohort—we saw clear upward movement for SME travel manager pay.

In 2025, it’s not the same story. No matter how you slice the data, salaries—on average—look to be flatlining. Not falling, but also not rising even to meet the rate of inflation.

Reviewing the 2024 cohort with 2025: In 2024, SME travel managers taking BTN’s Salary Survey collectively reported an average annual compensation of $119,958. The current 2025 cohort reported total average annual compensation of 121,992—barely $2,000 more than last year. When you crunch those numbers, SME travel managers in 2025 saw only a 1.7 percent increase in their average pay rate.

Of course, these are different groups of people. But BTN also asked the 2025 survey cohort to report their salaries from 2024. The result: They saw a 2.3 percent increase in their salaries. Slightly better, but not enough to overcome the rising cost of living.

U.S. Inflation Rates Challenge Modest Salary Increases

Inflation in the United States hovered at about 3 percent throughout the year. In January it was at 3 percent, in June it was 2.7 percent. October inflation rates have not yet been released due to the government shutdown, but the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has estimated they would come in at 3.2 percent. The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland estimated 2.96 percent.

The Bureau of Labor statistics released last week a summary of salary trends for the 12 months leading up to September (the report also was delayed by the government shutdown). It showed the average civilian wage or salary increased 3.6 percent over that time period, while benefit costs increased 3.5 percent over the year. Inflation-adjusted wages and salaries increased 0.6 percent over the year. Government salaries increased at a similar rate with “real” inflation-adjusted salaries up just 0.5 percent, taking into account a 3 percent inflation rate.

Translated to SME travel manager salaries as surveyed by BTN, the story is bleaker. Pegging BTN’s 2025 cohort with a 2.3 percent salary rise, the inflation-adjusted figure is -0.7 percent. Looking at the 2024 and 2025 cohorts side by side, the inflation-adjusted salary trend is -1.3 percent.

Devolving Dispositions

It may not come as a surprise, then, that SME travel managers trended more negative than their larger-program colleagues when looking directly at salary satisfaction.

Forty-four percent of SME travel managers feel their salaries are low for the responsibilities the position bears. Not even a fifth of SME travel managers feel they are “paid well” relative to the demands of the job. Thirty-seven percent feel there is an equitable exchange.

Even so, a larger percentage does feel they are well recognized for the jobs they do. A little more than one-quarter of respondents were unhappy with their level of recognition, while almost half felt the recognition of their work was “adequate” and a quarter felt “well recognized.”

That final group of well recognized workers is way down from last year’s cohort—losing 20 percentage points. Last year, 45 percent of surveyed travel managers still felt they were well recognized for the jobs they did—even if their pay satisfaction rates were relatively similar to this year’s cohort. Since then, that positivity has shifted into neutral to the “adequate” recognition group—which saw its ranks grow this year by 18 percentage points. 

One reason for the dissatisfaction may be due to SME travel managers’ relative instability within their company structures. It’s common knowledge, for example, that travel managers for programs with less than $15 million or $20 million in total annual travel spend (BTN considers an SME program one that spends less than $25 million annually) may be the only person looking at travel in their organizations. Moreover, they may be managing travel as only a part of their overall jobs.

This year’s survey cohort, however, came through as particularly challenged in terms of changing reporting structures and, likewise, were subject to the morphing priorities that come with organizational switch-ups.   

“I’ve moved to finance after reporting to shared services,” offered one buyer in BTN’s open comment section. Another said: “Travel oversite has been moved from finance to procurement, and in nine months I have had three different supervisors—none of which are subject matter experts in travel management or operations.” Yet another frustrated voice: “I used to be more engaged with out in-house meetings team. [The change] is due only to poor leadership. My job description has not changed.”

“I’ve changed from reporting to the CEO to reporting to the VP of marketing,” offered one buyer, with a second part that reads like a side of sarcasm. “My duties remain the same—plus marketing.”

Other buyers reported moving into HR structures or wrote about how changes in company leadership had immediately changed their focus areas for the travel program.

Cultural Shift to Cost Cutting

Cost management, while always a slice of the travel buyer’s role, took on more urgency in 2025, according to many SME travel managers. While a handful of buyers were buoyant about the growth of their programs and even adding team members to manage growing volume and supplier relationships, more were feeling frank about the pressures on them to find more savings. A majority of SME travel buyers said they were more focused on vendor management and data reporting—in support of cost management—than they have been in previous years.

Asked about the biggest changes and challenges in their roles over the past 12 months, commentary like the following was not uncommon: “Surging air costs, especially to secondary and less [accessible] locations,” said one. “Budget, especially with the rollout of the tariffs worldwide” impacting the costs of running the business and, as a result, cutting into travel funds. “Extra travel costs,” was the answer from another buyer.

Some buyers were hit with a double whammy this year—getting sharp end of government budget cutbacks, while contending with rising travel prices. “We reduced our amount of travel due to government mandates for budgetary reasons. We have perhaps a 15 percent reduction in travel, compared to 2024,” said one buyer.

Many buyers who cited budget challenges for 2025, expected them to continue into 2026. “We've pulled back considerably on travel in the past year,” said one, adding that next year, “Financial and market influences [ will have a big impact] on the business. We’ll be conservative with our spending.”

Will AI Help Contain Costs or Improve Service in 2026?

Complexity has been the name of the game in travel management for at least the last three years. Increased time dedicated to globalization among SME programs isn’t uncommon, taking on more concerted efforts to mitigate travel risk has been another—with a growing concern around cyber risk, particularly for those companies with international travel. Travel content fragmentation has been another, especially with air travel and less certainty about whether it will be accessible through the travel management company channels that most SME travel managers rely on heavily.

Indeed, TMC service and accountability was among the most aggravating challenges for SME travel managers in 2025, and many cited their efforts to change partners as one of the most important for this year and next. One buyer was completely out of patience: “My TMC is terrible. I have had to spend so much time with reports that are wrong, problems with travel booking, unused tickets, lack of support.” Their main goal for 2026 is to find a new partner.   

When looking for those partners, SME travel buyers are looking for upgrades and innovation.

“TMC modernization” was the central hope for one SME travel buyer for 2025. Others were already in motion, “We vetted and implemented a new TMC,” said another. Collectively, these platform changers are looking for more seamless service, access to data and, of course, traveler support.

But travel buyers may need to upgrade their own skillsets and knowledge to be the most successful.

“New innovations are emerging in the travel industry and it is hard to keep up with it,” said one travel manager. And at least one buyer was skeptical that the learning would ultimately be worth it. “AI implementation means continuous learning; whether it’s for better or for worse is anyone’s guess,” they opined.

There were more believers than skeptics, however, in the power of AI to transform travel management, and one buyer put the onus on buyers to take the innovation path forward, and saw the changes happening fast in 2026

“Travel Management will pivot to technology focus and away from operations as AI improves,” they said. “Contract negotiations will be more integrated with AI algorithms and dynamic [pricing]. The role of the traditional travel manager will shift away from customer services to technology delivery and optimization.”