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The differences between guides and leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a guide and a leader. Additionally, a leader has an average salary of $86,964, which is higher than the $34,479 average annual salary of a guide.
The top three skills for a guide include brand awareness, product knowledge and safety rules. The most important skills for a leader are customer service, strong time management, and excellent interpersonal.
| Guide | Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $34,479 | $86,964 |
| Hourly rate | $16.58 | $41.81 |
| Growth rate | 28% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 1,195 | 172,293 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 34 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
A guide is an expert on a location's history and gives guided tours to tourists at historic sites, nature and scenic attractions, and other travel destinations. Manuals are usually residents in the area hired by visitors' bureaus and travel companies. The tour guides provide visitors relevant and exciting information about the places they visit and keep the tour safe, organized, and productive. Their primary duties include a brief meeting with the tour manager to know the tourist's interests and needs. They plan itineraries, arrange, and organize transportation between destinations. At certain times, they are in charge of collecting fees, sell souvenirs, and promote gift shops.
Leaders pave the way for a company to achieve certain goals. They are in charge of bringing the organization to greater heights. They set the direction of the organization, much like how a captain sets the sails of the ship. They are responsible for coming up with main strategies and alternatives should there be challenges along the way. Leaders ensure that the company is guided by its vision and mission and that the employees emulate company values. They do so through leading by example. Leaders should have strategic skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
Guides and leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Guide | Leader | |
| Average salary | $34,479 | $86,964 |
| Salary range | Between $17,000 And $68,000 | Between $49,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Portland, ME |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Maine |
| Best paying company | Salesforce | Eli Lilly and Company |
| Best paying industry | Technology | - |
There are a few differences between a guide and a leader in terms of educational background:
| Guide | Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between guides' and leaders' demographics:
| Guide | Leader | |
| Average age | 34 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.3% Female, 50.7% | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 6% |