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Tour and Travel Guides Salary
Tour and Travel Guides earn a median $38,120 a year in the U.S., with 53,500 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $38,120 a year
- Employment
- 53,500
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- +6.3%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 11,900
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $38,120 · $18.33 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $43,720 · $21.02 an hour (estimate error ±2.5%)
- 10th percentile
- $28,520 · $13.71 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $32,910 · $15.82 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $47,700 · $22.93 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $60,930 · $29.29 an hour
- Employment
- 53,500 (estimate error ±2.5%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
This occupation includes the 2018 SOC occupations 39-7011 Tour Guides and Escorts and 39-7012 Travel Guides.
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 62,200
- Projected for 2035
- 66,100
- Change
- +3,900 (+6.3%)
- Openings each year
- 11,900
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 9.2%
Occupational Outlook Handbook (duties, how to become one, work environment)
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $102,020 | 50 |
| 2 | Washington | $54,160 | 1,420 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $49,210 | 380 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $47,020 | 560 |
| 5 | California | $46,000 | 6,900 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $45,940 | 1,370 |
| 7 | Vermont | $45,920 | 140 |
| 8 | Maine | $44,940 | 270 |
| 9 | New York | $44,450 | 2,870 |
| 10 | Alaska | $44,210 | 1,660 |
States with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 6,900 | $46,000 |
| New York | 2,870 | $44,450 |
| Florida | 2,720 | $41,600 |
| Arizona | 2,450 | $37,560 |
| Texas | 2,250 | $33,080 |
| Colorado | 2,150 | $42,840 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,970 | $32,910 |
| Tennessee | 1,840 | $33,760 |
| Massachusetts | 1,760 | $37,840 |
| Alaska | 1,660 | $44,210 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $63,630 | 870 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,330 | 640 |
| 3 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $54,550 | 120 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $52,480 | 970 |
| 5 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $50,320 | 540 |
| 6 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $49,540 | 650 |
| 7 | Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49,430 | 260 |
| 8 | Bozeman, MT | $49,080 | 150 |
| 9 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $47,740 | 280 |
| 10 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $47,170 | 170 |
| 11 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $47,070 | 150 |
| 12 | Salinas, CA | $46,130 | 120 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 2,360 | $42,870 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 2,180 | $45,610 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,330 | Not reported |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 1,290 | $38,440 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,280 | $46,130 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 1,060 | $34,290 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 970 | $52,480 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 950 | $31,980 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 870 | $63,630 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 860 | $43,370 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 850 | $40,450 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 840 | $36,870 |
Tour and Travel Guides pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Frequently asked questions
- How much do tour and travel guides make?
- The median wage for tour and travel guides in the U.S. is $38,120 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $32,910 and $47,700.
- Which state pays tour and travel guides the most?
- U.S. Virgin Islands has the highest median wage for this occupation at $102,020 a year.
- What is the job outlook for tour and travel guides?
- BLS projects employment to grow 6.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings each year on average.
- What education do tour and travel guides need?
- The typical entry-level education is: high school diploma or equivalent.