Average Tour Guide Salary in South Korea for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Tour Guide salary for 2024 in South Korea and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the South Korean won. To keep things simple, we are using the KRW currency code instead of the currency symbol โ‚ฉ.

How Much Does a Tour Guide Make in South Korea?

A Tour Guide working in South Korea will typically earn around 28,919,800 KRW per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 15,118,700 KRW to the highest average salary of 44,280,500 KRW.

Average Annual Salary
28,919,800 KRW
Average Monthly Salary
2,409,983 KRW

Lowest Annual Salary
15,118,700 KRW
Lowest Monthly Salary
1,259,891 KRW

Highest Annual Salary
44,280,500 KRW
Highest Monthly Salary
3,690,041 KRW

These are average salaries for a Tour Guide in South Korea and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Tour Guide to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Tour Guide salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Tour Guide Salaries in South Korea

So we've looked at the average salaries a Tour Guide will earn in South Korea. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Tour Guide can earn between 15,118,700 KRW and 44,280,500 KRW on average in South Korea. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Tour Guide in South Korea is 27,841,200 KRW. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 27,841,200 KRW, and 50% of the population earn more than 27,841,200 KRW.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Tour Guide salary in South Korea, 25% of the population are earning less than 19,321,100 KRW while 75% of the population earn more than 19,321,100 KRW.

75% of the population earn less than 34,679,400 KRW, and 25% of the population earn more than 34,679,400 KRW.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Tour Guide Salary by Experience Level in South Korea

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average tour guide salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Tour Guide in South Korea that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 17,159,700 KRW.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Tour Guide salary would increase to 22,918,100 KRW.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Tour Guide, the average salary would be 29,881,100 KRW.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 36,121,000 KRW.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Tour Guide with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 39,481,900 KRW.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Tour Guide with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 41,520,800 KRW.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
17,159,700 KRW
2-5 Years +34%
22,918,100 KRW
5-10 Years +30%
29,881,100 KRW
10-15 Years +21%
36,121,000 KRW
15-20 Years +9%
39,481,900 KRW
20+ Years +5%
41,520,800 KRW

Tour Guide Salary by Education Level in South Korea

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Tour Guide in South Korea based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Tour Guide in South Korea with a high school education can earn an average salary of 20,281,100 KRW.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Tour Guide in South Korea with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 29,161,000 KRW.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Tour Guide in South Korea with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 40,199,100 KRW.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
20,281,100 KRW
Certificate or Diploma +43%
29,161,000 KRW
Bachelor's Degree +38%
40,199,100 KRW

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in South Korea is around 19,400,000 to 58,300,000 KRW and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Tour Guide Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In South Korea, a male tour guide will earn an average of 28,200,200 KRW, while a female tour guide will earn around 29,881,100 KRW.

This means that a male tour guide earns approximately 6% less than a female tour guide for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in South Korea

Male
28,200,200 KRW
Female +6%
29,881,100 KRW

Tour Guide Average Pay Raise in South Korea

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Tour Guide in South Korea is around 11% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in South Korea is around 9% every 16 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 11 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 8%

What this means is that a Tour Guide in South Korea can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in South Korea for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in South Korea.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
6%
Energy
3%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
6%
Travel
3%
Construction
9%
Education
6%

Tour Guide Bonus and Incentive Rates in South Korea

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Tour Guide is a moderate bonus based job, with 52% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

48% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 5%.

Received Bonus
52%
No Bonus
48%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in South Korea earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
47,880,300 KRW
Private Sector -6%
45,239,100 KRW

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Tour Guide

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Tour Guide in South Korea.

Job Title Category Salary
All Rounder Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 19,921,600 KRW
Assistant Executive Housekeeper Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 13,798,900 KRW
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 27,361,200 KRW
Assistant Food and Beverage Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 64,681,900 KRW
Assistant Hospitality Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 66,359,800 KRW
Assistant Storekeeper Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 13,441,600 KRW
Assistant Tour Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,201,500 KRW
Baker and Pastrycook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 15,838,200 KRW
Bakery Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,521,100 KRW
Bakery Superintendent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 23,040,200 KRW
Banquet Captain Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 18,239,400 KRW
Banquet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 24,841,800 KRW
Banquet Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 15,360,400 KRW
Bar Attendant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 15,838,200 KRW
Bar Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,081,900 KRW
Bar Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 21,719,900 KRW
Barista Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 18,840,100 KRW
Bartender Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 18,958,500 KRW
Bellman Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 15,118,700 KRW
Beverage Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 39,119,300 KRW
Bistro Attendant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 16,799,900 KRW
Buffet Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,519,900 KRW
Buffet Host Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 16,079,800 KRW
Buffet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,001,000 KRW
Butcher and Slaughterer Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 12,600,600 KRW
Cafeteria Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 16,198,300 KRW
Cafeteria Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,041,200 KRW
Cafeteria Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 20,999,200 KRW
Cake Decorator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 17,159,700 KRW
Casino Shift Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 53,759,200 KRW
Chain Store Customer Support Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 24,599,500 KRW
Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,119,100 KRW
Chef De Cuisine Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 40,199,100 KRW
Club Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 54,961,400 KRW
Cluster Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 71,761,200 KRW
Cluster Revenue Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 56,998,400 KRW
Cocktail Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 16,561,800 KRW
Coffee Shop Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 55,318,200 KRW
Concierge Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 14,760,200 KRW
Confectionery Baker Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 18,598,500 KRW
Conference and Sales Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 28,200,200 KRW
Conference Services Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,721,200 KRW
Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 25,440,400 KRW
Corporate Sous Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 43,198,900 KRW
Corporate Travel Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 41,638,700 KRW
Croupier Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 20,639,100 KRW
Culinary Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 13,199,100 KRW
Culinary Associate Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 13,319,300 KRW
Demi Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,678,800 KRW
Dietary Aide Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,320,700 KRW
Dining Room Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 27,960,400 KRW
Dishwasher Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 12,721,300 KRW
Duty Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 34,441,600 KRW
Events Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 23,399,000 KRW
Executive Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,878,200 KRW
Executive Pastry Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 27,361,200 KRW
Fast Food Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 24,359,000 KRW
Fast Food Shift Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,520,600 KRW
Fine Dining Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 43,559,400 KRW
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 41,158,900 KRW
Fleet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 77,399,200 KRW
Food and Beverage Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 58,441,700 KRW
Food Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 48,721,100 KRW
Food Safety Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,001,000 KRW
Food Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 14,519,400 KRW
Food Service Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 55,678,400 KRW
Food Service Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 60,361,600 KRW
Food Service Sales Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,480,500 KRW
Food Service Worker Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 14,880,300 KRW
Front Desk Agent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 18,720,200 KRW
Front Desk Clerk Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 17,039,100 KRW
Front Office Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,639,300 KRW
Guest Service Executive Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 47,999,400 KRW
Guest Service Representative Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 20,281,100 KRW
Head Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,758,400 KRW
Head Concierge Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 23,399,000 KRW
Hospitality Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 92,879,600 KRW
Hostess / Host Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 17,758,500 KRW
Hotel Desk Clerk Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 18,359,600 KRW
Hotel Maid Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 12,958,200 KRW
Hotel Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 88,081,100 KRW
Hotel Sales Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 62,041,800 KRW
Hotel Service Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 50,281,100 KRW
Hotel Staff Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 15,480,300 KRW
Inventory Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 19,078,500 KRW
Kitchen Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,961,800 KRW
Kitchen Staff Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 15,599,800 KRW
Kitchen Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,639,300 KRW
Line Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 28,200,200 KRW
Luggage Porter Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 12,239,700 KRW
Motel Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 47,401,700 KRW
Pastry Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 25,079,200 KRW
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 16,439,200 KRW
Production Operator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 24,478,500 KRW
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 28,078,900 KRW
Receptionist Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 17,519,700 KRW
Regional Restaurant Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 68,639,200 KRW
Restaurant Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 59,398,900 KRW
Restaurant Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 14,880,300 KRW
Room Reservations Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 59,398,900 KRW
Room Service Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 57,239,200 KRW
Sous Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,559,900 KRW
Special Events Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,960,300 KRW
Supervisor of Food Services Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 38,760,100 KRW
Tour Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 42,479,000 KRW
Tour Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 37,681,400 KRW
Travel Agent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,399,100 KRW
Travel Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 44,760,700 KRW
Waiter / Waitress Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 14,880,300 KRW

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in South Korea, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Bucheon 26,520,600 KRW
Busan 30,721,900 KRW
Daegu 29,761,800 KRW
Daejeon 29,278,200 KRW
Goyang 27,601,100 KRW
Gwangju 28,801,400 KRW
Incheon 30,240,200 KRW
Seongnam 26,759,500 KRW
Seoul 31,081,900 KRW
Suweon 28,439,500 KRW
Ulsan 28,078,900 KRW

Link To or Reference This Page

We spend a lot of time collecting, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site to be as useful to you as possible.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference World Salaries as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Average Tour Guide Salary in South Korea for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-tour-guide-salary-in-south-korea/.

  • "Average Tour Guide Salary in South Korea for 2024". World Salaries, https://worldsalaries.com/average-tour-guide-salary-in-south-korea/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Average Tour Guide Salary in South Korea for 2024. World Salaries. Retrieved from https://worldsalaries.com/average-tour-guide-salary-in-south-korea/.