Average Tour Guide Salary in United States for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Tour Guide salary for 2024 in United States 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 United States dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the USD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Tour Guide Make in United States?

A Tour Guide working in United States will typically earn around 54,900 USD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 29,300 USD to the highest average salary of 83,100 USD.

Average Annual Salary
54,900 USD
Average Monthly Salary
4,575 USD

Lowest Annual Salary
29,300 USD
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,441 USD

Highest Annual Salary
83,100 USD
Highest Monthly Salary
6,925 USD

These are average salaries for a Tour Guide in United States 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 United States

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Tour Guide can earn between 29,300 USD and 83,100 USD on average in United States. 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 United States is 51,500 USD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 51,500 USD, and 50% of the population earn more than 51,500 USD.

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 United States, 25% of the population are earning less than 37,300 USD while 75% of the population earn more than 37,300 USD.

75% of the population earn less than 64,800 USD, and 25% of the population earn more than 64,800 USD.

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 United States

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 United States that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 33,000 USD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Tour Guide salary would increase to 40,300 USD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Tour Guide, the average salary would be 58,500 USD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 69,800 USD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Tour Guide with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 74,200 USD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Tour Guide with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 80,900 USD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
33,000 USD
2-5 Years +23%
40,300 USD
5-10 Years +42%
58,500 USD
10-15 Years +17%
69,800 USD
15-20 Years +10%
74,200 USD
20+ Years +6%
80,900 USD

Tour Guide Salary by Education Level in United States

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 United States 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 United States with a high school education can earn an average salary of 40,300 USD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Tour Guide in United States with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 56,600 USD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Tour Guide in United States with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 81,700 USD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
40,300 USD
Certificate or Diploma +40%
56,600 USD
Bachelor's Degree +42%
81,700 USD

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 United States is around 39,500 to 118,000 USD 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 United States, a male tour guide will earn an average of 52,300 USD, while a female tour guide will earn around 57,900 USD.

This means that a male tour guide earns approximately 10% less than a female tour guide for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in United States

Male
52,300 USD
Female +10%
57,900 USD

Tour Guide Average Pay Raise in United States

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 United States is around 9% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in United States is around 8% 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 = ( 9 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 7%

What this means is that a Tour Guide in United States can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 7% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in United States for 2024

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

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

Banking
4%
Energy
8%
Information Technology
3%
Healthcare
7%
Travel
2%
Construction
6%
Education
1%

Tour Guide Bonus and Incentive Rates in United States

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 United States earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
98,800 USD
Private Sector -6%
93,100 USD

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 United States.

Job Title Category Salary
All Rounder Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 38,000 USD
Assistant Executive Housekeeper Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,600 USD
Assistant Food and Beverage Controller Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 57,400 USD
Assistant Food and Beverage Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 118,900 USD
Assistant Hospitality Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 130,400 USD
Assistant Storekeeper Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 23,700 USD
Assistant Tour Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 63,900 USD
Baker and Pastrycook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,100 USD
Bakery Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 72,800 USD
Bakery Superintendent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 46,700 USD
Banquet Captain Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 39,400 USD
Banquet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 49,100 USD
Banquet Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,700 USD
Bar Attendant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,900 USD
Bar Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 67,500 USD
Bar Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 44,800 USD
Barista Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,900 USD
Bartender Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,500 USD
Bellman Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,400 USD
Beverage Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 77,000 USD
Bistro Attendant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 USD
Buffet Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 57,900 USD
Buffet Host Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 USD
Buffet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 71,400 USD
Butcher and Slaughterer Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 23,700 USD
Cafeteria Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 USD
Cafeteria Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 60,900 USD
Cafeteria Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 45,200 USD
Cake Decorator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 38,100 USD
Casino Shift Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 111,700 USD
Chain Store Customer Support Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 49,400 USD
Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 56,400 USD
Chef De Cuisine Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 84,300 USD
Club Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 111,700 USD
Cluster Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 146,900 USD
Cluster Revenue Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 109,000 USD
Cocktail Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,100 USD
Coffee Shop Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 107,700 USD
Concierge Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 29,300 USD
Confectionery Baker Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 37,300 USD
Conference and Sales Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 54,100 USD
Conference Services Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 71,100 USD
Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 52,000 USD
Corporate Sous Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 87,900 USD
Corporate Travel Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 87,800 USD
Croupier Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 41,000 USD
Culinary Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 26,400 USD
Culinary Associate Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 25,800 USD
Demi Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 56,900 USD
Dietary Aide Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 58,400 USD
Dining Room Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 52,800 USD
Dishwasher Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 23,600 USD
Duty Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 75,500 USD
Events Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 46,700 USD
Executive Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 68,500 USD
Executive Pastry Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 55,100 USD
Fast Food Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 51,300 USD
Fast Food Shift Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 52,300 USD
Fine Dining Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 83,300 USD
Fine Dining Restaurant Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 88,700 USD
Fleet Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 151,800 USD
Food and Beverage Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 112,700 USD
Food Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 94,500 USD
Food Safety Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 70,600 USD
Food Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 31,300 USD
Food Service Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 116,400 USD
Food Service Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 118,900 USD
Food Service Sales Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 74,300 USD
Food Service Worker Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,700 USD
Front Desk Agent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,300 USD
Front Desk Clerk Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 34,000 USD
Front Office Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 64,400 USD
Guest Service Executive Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 99,700 USD
Guest Service Representative Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 40,500 USD
Head Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 69,400 USD
Head Concierge Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 48,600 USD
Hospitality Director Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 175,200 USD
Hostess / Host Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,300 USD
Hotel Desk Clerk Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 34,000 USD
Hotel Maid Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 27,300 USD
Hotel Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 172,300 USD
Hotel Sales Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 134,700 USD
Hotel Service Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 101,400 USD
Hotel Staff Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,600 USD
Inventory Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 36,800 USD
Kitchen Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 57,800 USD
Kitchen Staff Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 32,200 USD
Kitchen Supervisor Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 51,100 USD
Line Cook Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 58,200 USD
Luggage Porter Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 24,200 USD
Motel Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 98,700 USD
Pastry Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 50,500 USD
Pastrycooking and Baking Assistant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 33,000 USD
Production Operator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 48,500 USD
Quality, Health and Safety Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 57,100 USD
Receptionist Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 35,300 USD
Regional Restaurant Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 132,000 USD
Restaurant Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 114,300 USD
Restaurant Server Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,800 USD
Room Reservations Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 117,100 USD
Room Service Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 105,800 USD
Sous Chef Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 68,800 USD
Special Events Coordinator Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 67,900 USD
Supervisor of Food Services Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 78,500 USD
Tour Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 87,400 USD
Tour Manager Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 77,000 USD
Travel Agent Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 59,900 USD
Travel Consultant Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 89,800 USD
Waiter / Waitress Food / Hospitality / Tourism / Catering 30,600 USD

Salary Comparison by City

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

City Average Salary
Atlanta 54,700 USD
Austin 63,400 USD
Baltimore 58,500 USD
Boston 60,900 USD
Bristol 48,000 USD
Chicago 67,500 USD
Cincinnati 50,100 USD
Cleveland 51,900 USD
Dallas 65,900 USD
Denver 59,500 USD
Detroit 62,600 USD
Honolulu 49,000 USD
Houston 67,800 USD
Indianapolis 62,600 USD
Iowa City 46,200 USD
Jacksonville 59,800 USD
Kansas City 58,600 USD
Kent 45,800 USD
Las Vegas 55,500 USD
Long Beach 51,300 USD
Los Angeles 72,400 USD
Memphis 58,600 USD
Miami 53,600 USD
Minneapolis 51,800 USD
New Orleans 53,300 USD
New York 71,800 USD
Oakland 51,100 USD
Oklahoma City 57,800 USD
Orlando 49,400 USD
Philadelphia 62,600 USD
Phoenix 64,800 USD
Sacramento 52,300 USD
San Antonio 66,100 USD
San Diego 66,400 USD
San Francisco 66,900 USD
San Jose 66,100 USD
Seattle 59,000 USD
Tampa 49,200 USD
Vancouver 48,600 USD
Washington D.C. 58,500 USD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in United States.

City Average Salary
Alabama 60,100 USD
Alaska 54,300 USD
Arizona 64,100 USD
Arkansas 58,400 USD
California 67,500 USD
Colorado 62,600 USD
Connecticut 58,000 USD
Delaware 54,100 USD
District of Columbia 49,300 USD
Florida 61,600 USD
Georgia 61,300 USD
Hawaii 52,000 USD
Idaho 51,500 USD
Illinois 63,100 USD
Indiana 58,600 USD
Iowa 56,100 USD
Kansas 54,100 USD
Kentucky 56,400 USD
Louisiana 57,800 USD
Maine 54,600 USD
Maryland 60,100 USD
Massachusetts 58,800 USD
Michigan 64,100 USD
Minnesota 59,100 USD
Mississippi 58,600 USD
Missouri 62,600 USD
Montana 55,600 USD
Nebraska 55,200 USD
Nevada 58,600 USD
New Hampshire 54,100 USD
New Jersey 63,700 USD
New Mexico 57,800 USD
New York 65,700 USD
North Carolina 58,800 USD
North Dakota 48,500 USD
Ohio 61,300 USD
Oklahoma 54,100 USD
Oregon 54,900 USD
Pennsylvania 63,100 USD
Rhode Island 49,300 USD
South Carolina 58,600 USD
South Dakota 52,000 USD
Tennessee 60,000 USD
Texas 63,200 USD
Utah 54,100 USD
Vermont 49,700 USD
Virginia 63,000 USD
Washington 63,100 USD
West Virginia 54,700 USD
Wisconsin 61,300 USD
Wyoming 51,400 USD

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  • "Average Tour Guide Salary in United States for 2024". World Salaries. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://worldsalaries.com/average-tour-guide-salary-in-united-states/.

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