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.”