How much money does a travel agent make per booking?

So, how much do travel agents actually make per booking? I've been hearing wildly different numbers, and it's driving me crazy! I mean, I've heard they can snag anywhere from a measly 7% – which, let's be real, is practically nothing – all the way up to a crazy 28%! Twenty-eight percent?! That's enough to make my jaw drop, honestly. I'd be swimming in margaritas on a beach somewhere!

I think it really depends, you know? Like, apparently cruise lines are the big payers – those commissions are supposedly the juiciest. Remember that time my aunt booked that Alaskan cruise for her retirement? She told me something about her agent getting a huge cut… I should probably ask her sometime. But then, other bookings? Yeah, it can be a tough 7%. That's barely enough to cover, what, a fancy coffee?

Most of what I've read says it’s somewhere in the 10-15% range. Still sounds pretty good to me! I could’ve really used that extra cash last month when my car decided to spontaneously combust… not literally combust, but you know… major repair bill. It makes me wonder, sometimes, if I should have gone into travel instead of… well, whatever this is. Maybe I could've booked myself a free trip to Bali by now! Sigh. But hey, at least I can afford that fancy coffee now… for now.