Best Cities for Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerkss

Cities ranked by purchasing power — where reservation and transportation ticket agents and travel clerkss get the most value from their salary after accounting for cost of living. A score above 1.00 means better than national average.

How we calculate this: City Score = (Local Salary ÷ National Median) ÷ (Local Cost ÷ National Avg Cost). A score of 1.20 means 20% better purchasing power than average.

#	Location	Score	Raw Salary	Adjusted Salary	Rent/Income
1	Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMetro	1.80	$72,880	$79,912	20%
2	MichiganState	1.47	$60,220	$65,244	22%
3	San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXMetro	1.39	$56,610	$61,533	28%
4	MinnesotaState	1.38	$60,090	$61,316	26%
5	OklahomaState	1.21	$47,340	$53,492	25%
6	KentuckyState	1.17	$45,840	$51,797	25%
7	New MexicoState	1.17	$47,850	$52,011	26%
8	Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WIMetro	1.16	$51,190	$51,447	35%
9	GeorgiaState	1.15	$47,860	$51,242	35%
10	IllinoisState	1.11	$47,850	$49,127	33%
11	LouisianaState	1.11	$44,520	$49,412	28%
12	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GAMetro	1.11	$47,860	$49,442	40%
13	ArkansasState	1.10	$42,040	$48,714	25%
14	North CarolinaState	1.07	$44,630	$47,278	35%
15	South CarolinaState	1.07	$43,740	$47,543	34%
16	Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCMetro	1.05	$44,630	$46,587	40%
17	IndianaState	1.03	$41,400	$45,746	31%
18	MissouriState	1.03	$40,560	$45,779	31%
19	PennsylvaniaState	1.03	$44,380	$45,753	35%
20	ArizonaState	1.02	$45,710	$45,302	39%
21	Rhode IslandState	1.02	$45,420	$45,194	40%
22	WashingtonState	1.02	$48,520	$45,219	47%
23	CaliforniaState	1.01	$49,420	$44,643	55%
24	MontanaState	1.01	$43,110	$44,720	31%
25	Pittsburgh, PAMetro	1.01	$41,450	$44,811	34%
26	MississippiState	1.00	$37,730	$44,493	28%
27	Kansas City, MO-KSMetro	1.00	$41,380	$44,591	37%
28	AlaskaState	0.99	$45,870	$43,979	36%
29	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAMetro	0.99	$51,130	$43,888	53%
30	ColoradoState	0.98	$45,960	$43,605	48%
31	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDMetro	0.97	$44,390	$42,889	43%
32	DelawareState	0.96	$43,140	$42,713	38%
33	VirginiaState	0.96	$44,140	$42,647	43%
34	Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAMetro	0.96	$48,520	$42,450	54%
35	AlabamaState	0.95	$36,620	$42,044	31%
36	TennesseeState	0.95	$38,530	$42,109	39%
37	IdahoState	0.94	$40,230	$41,689	36%
38	San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CAMetro	0.94	$49,990	$41,589	75%
39	IowaState	0.93	$36,880	$41,345	31%
40	NebraskaState	0.93	$37,850	$41,366	33%
41	Columbus, OHMetro	0.93	$38,590	$41,273	40%
42	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAMetro	0.93	$44,320	$41,113	49%
43	District of ColumbiaState	0.92	$46,550	$40,726	54%
44	HawaiiState	0.92	$45,020	$40,927	64%
45	MaineState	0.92	$40,700	$40,782	38%
46	MassachusettsState	0.92	$44,230	$40,765	61%
47	NevadaState	0.92	$41,000	$40,918	42%
48	West VirginiaState	0.91	$34,030	$40,416	30%
49	OhioState	0.90	$36,070	$39,900	35%
50	TexasState	0.90	$38,220	$39,979	43%
51	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVMetro	0.90	$45,210	$40,080	53%
52	OregonState	0.89	$40,570	$39,388	47%
53	South DakotaState	0.89	$35,860	$39,493	32%
54	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXMetro	0.89	$38,250	$39,352	50%
55	FloridaState	0.88	$39,490	$38,906	52%
56	WisconsinState	0.88	$35,950	$38,949	36%
57	Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMetro	0.88	$44,230	$38,969	69%
58	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNMetro	0.88	$37,630	$39,116	50%
59	KansasState	0.87	$34,940	$38,822	36%
60	New HampshireState	0.87	$40,920	$38,604	46%
61	UtahState	0.87	$38,660	$38,583	46%
62	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMetro	0.87	$40,750	$38,516	49%
63	Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLMetro	0.87	$37,990	$38,569	54%
64	New YorkState	0.86	$42,990	$38,213	52%
65	North DakotaState	0.85	$34,870	$37,657	34%
66	MarylandState	0.84	$40,750	$37,317	49%
67	VermontState	0.84	$38,310	$37,376	45%
68	ConnecticutState	0.82	$39,380	$36,599	48%
69	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLMetro	0.81	$39,190	$36,120	62%
70	New JerseyState	0.80	$38,780	$35,643	56%

Data Sources: Salary: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS). Cost of Living: BEA Regional Price Parities (2024). Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents (FY2025).