The average wage for a tour guide in the United States is around $11.32 per hour.
Avg Wage
Tour guides earn an average hourly wage of $11.32.
Salaries typically start from $9.87 per hour and go up to $16.54 per hour.
60% below national average Updated in 2018
Tour guide earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level tour guide earnings begin at:
$16.54 per hour
$34,403 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level tour guide earnings begin at:
$13.33 per hour
$27,729 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level tour guide earnings begin at:
$11.32 per hour
$23,536 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level tour guide earnings begin at:
$10.31 per hour
$21,441 per year
10th percentile
Starting level tour guide earnings begin at:
$9.87 per hour
$20,520 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Tour guide salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | $41,950 |
| Alaska | $32,670 |
| Washington | $32,330 |
| District of Columbia | $32,010 |
| Nevada | $31,440 |
| New York | $31,234 |
| Colorado | $30,720 |
| New Mexico | $28,490 |
| Montana | $27,980 |
| Hawaii | $27,930 |
| Texas | $27,000 |
| Pennsylvania | $26,480 |
| California | $26,397 |
| Illinois | $25,660 |
| Ohio | $25,650 |
| Minnesota | $25,290 |
| Rhode Island | $25,080 |
| Oregon | $25,050 |
| Utah | $24,980 |
| Florida | $24,960 |
| Arizona | $24,450 |
| New Jersey | $24,410 |
| Massachusetts | $23,920 |
| Arkansas | $23,880 |
| Connecticut | $23,870 |
| Delaware | $23,860 |
| New Hampshire | $23,800 |
| Virginia | $23,660 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $23,620 |
| South Dakota | $23,520 |
| West Virginia | $23,480 |
| Vermont | $23,450 |
| Kansas | $23,440 |
| Mississippi | $23,360 |
| Oklahoma | $23,330 |
| North Carolina | $23,310 |
| Louisiana | $23,280 |
| South Carolina | $22,710 |
| Missouri | $22,360 |
| Georgia | $22,230 |
| Kentucky | $22,090 |
| Nebraska | $21,700 |
| Wisconsin | $21,230 |
| Maryland | $21,160 |
| Maine | $20,930 |
| Indiana | $20,750 |
| Michigan | $20,080 |
| Tennessee | $19,680 |
| Iowa | $19,620 |
| Alabama | $19,450 |
| Guam | $19,190 |
| Idaho | $18,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $18,490 |
How do tour guide salaries compare to similar careers?
Tour guides earn about the same as related careers in the United States. On average, they make less than recreation workers but more than receptionists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Recreation worker salary | $25K |
| Security guard salary | $27K |
| Taxi driver salary | $26K |
| Vehicle cleaner salary | $25K |
| Hairdresser salary | $26K |
| Tour guide salary | $24K |
| Janitor salary | $25K |
| Nail technician salary | $24K |
| Stock clerk salary | $24K |
| Receptionist salary | $23K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)