How to hire a guide

How to hire a guide, step by step

Here's a step-by-step guide hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a guide job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new guide
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a guide do?

Post a guide job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the guide you need to hire. Certain guide roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A guide's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, guides from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of guide salaries for various roles:

   Type of Guide	Description	Hourly rate
   Guide	A Guide is responsible for helping people to visit unfamiliar areas or buildings. Their primary duties include greeting tourist groups, describing places to people, and providing safety devices and directions.	$8-32
   Escort	Escort is a service provided to accompany an individual, group of people, or vehicle to provide guidance and protection or mark of honor. Military Escort services accompany deceased military personnel to show respect-a healthcare escort sometimes accompanies patients to their destination for ongoing care safely... Show more	$10-17
   Tour Guide	As their title describes, tour guides offer guided tours to individuals or groups of visitors. Tour guides undertake research and plan tours, provide sightseeing advice, and organize excursions... Show more	$8-26

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Brand Awareness
   • Product Knowledge
   • Safety Rules
   • Customer Service
   • Safety Procedures
   • CPR
   • Adventure
   • Local History
   • POS
   • Chrome
   • Leadership
   • Windows
   • Community Resources
   • Excellent Guest

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage kayaks, guest and guide gear and repaired/ordered as needed.
   • Lead VIP guests on guide tours of the property and facilitate their involvement in special events, productions, and conventions.
   • Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
   • Provide hands on experience in stream exploration, plant identification, and survival classes.
   • Wrangle horses, clean fish, and elk.
   • Generate high quality reports in the form of listing, HTML, XML, RTF and PDF formats using SAS ODS.

   More guide duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your guide job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A guide salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a guide in South Carolina may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level guide usually earns less than a senior-level guide. Additionally, a guide with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average guide salary

   $16.58hourly

   $34,479 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level guide salary

   $17,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average guide salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$42,641	$21
   2	Washington	$41,294	$20
   3	Oregon	$40,850	$20
   4	Ohio	$39,945	$19
   5	Indiana	$39,841	$19
   6	Virginia	$38,917	$19
   7	Kansas	$38,657	$19
   8	Georgia	$38,192	$18
   9	Pennsylvania	$37,767	$18
   10	New York	$36,527	$18
   11	Texas	$36,497	$18
   12	North Carolina	$35,984	$17
   13	Colorado	$35,120	$17
   14	Florida	$34,749	$17
   15	Maine	$33,986	$16
   16	Missouri	$32,971	$16
   17	District of Columbia	$32,386	$16
   18	Nevada	$32,161	$15
   19	Illinois	$31,701	$15
   20	Massachusetts	$31,576	$15

   Average guide salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Salesforce	$59,862	$28.78
   2	Eureka Ergonomic	$57,942	$27.86
   3	Michelin	$52,841	$25.40
   4	California Academy of Sciences	$52,720	$25.35
   5	Tenneco	$50,986	$24.51
   6	Mercy Children's Hospital	$49,931	$24.01
   7	Screen Rant	$49,055	$23.58
   8	NBCUniversal	$48,942	$23.53
   9	Dow Jones	$48,533	$23.33
   10	SafeAuto	$48,289	$23.22
   11	Kaiser Permanente	$47,147	$22.67
   12	National Park Foundation	$47,067	$22.63
   13	Dartmouth	$46,854	$22.53	2
   14	Skidmore College	$46,814	$22.51
   15	Regions Bank	$44,794	$21.54
   16	IT TECHNOLOGY	$43,188	$20.76
   17	Forest Manufacturing Co	$42,651	$20.51
   18	International Christian Montessori Academy	$42,242	$20.31
   19	University of Washington	$41,971	$20.18
   20	Oscar	$41,878	$20.13

4. Writing a guide job description

   A guide job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a guide job description:

   Guide job description example

   For 50 years NOC has led the outdoor industry, taking more guests whitewater rafting and teaching more paddlers than any other outdoor recreation company. NOC also provides top-quality aerial and trail-based adventures, wilderness medicine as well as providing unmatched retail service, foodservice, lodging, and trip planning services. Behind NOC's rapid growth are our staff’s commitment to our five core values: Lead by Example, Service Before Self, Do the Right Thing, Work Hard/Play Hard and Make it Happen. These core values unite a community of leaders and pioneers in an exciting, fun and always changing work environment.
   
   NOC career opportunities offer prospects rare opportunities to work in beautiful locations, to grow their skills and to share a passion for active outdoor recreation. Ideal candidates are leaders in the work place that wish to join a unique, values-driven organization. They aspire to excellence in their fields and disciplines and they demonstrate a commitment to the service of others. Above all, they want to provide visitors with unforgettable experiences in the great outdoors. If this sounds like you, we hope you'll apply to join the NOC team.
   
   Looking for passionate and energetic individuals that share a love for the outdoors and are excited to meet our guests needs. Come join our team at one of the industry leaders in Outdoor Adventure at NOC's Great Outpost in downtown Gatlinburg, located right next to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. As a Sales Associate, you will become an expert in all of our products, apparel, gear and adventure offerings, and be able to provide our guests with in depth knowledge of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and surrounding trails.
   
   This position reports to the Store Management team and is a part-time year round position with NOC. Ideal applicants will be available to work weekends, evening and holidays and hours and schedule will fluctuate based on business demands. Retail Associates have access to all of NOC's outdoor activities, gear, apparel, and footwear at special discounted rates, plus free/discounted access to several local area attractions.
   Responsibilities
   Discover guest needs through engaging and inspiring interactions, and providing viable solutions for each guest Meet or exceed sales goals Maintain/create a visually appealing presentation with products/signage Ensure all product is fully stocked at all times Maintain store cleanliness standards at all times Learn all aspects of the role, products & services offered by NOC Learn the local area, National Parks, and hiking trails to assist with the providing guests with needed information Process sales accurately and timely Sample food & beverage products to guests, as needed Qualifications
   REQUIRED Basic computer skills to operate our POS/Inventory system Must be 16 years of age or older PREFERRED 2 years Retail experience 2 years Sales experience - knowledge of sales process from initiation to close and tracking and following up on leads 2 years outdoor gear experience - outdoor apparel, footwear, camping and hiking gear Applicants must:
   Be self-sufficient and work independently as well as contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results Have excellent verbal communication skills Be able to demonstrate patience and enthusiasm while communicating NOC's guests Be able to work accurately under stress and pressure to meet competing deadlines Be able to multi task several projects at once Have tenacity to handle rejection and continue on with a positive attitude when reaching next potential customer Basic computer skills to operate our POS/Inventory system Helps customer make selections by building customer confidence; Have a strong attention to detail and organizational skills Ability to communicate effectively by using active listening skills and able to convey information, suggestions and inspiration to guests. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: Must be able to stand/walk on your feet for several hours at a time Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath. Constant use hands/arms/upper body to handle, control, or feel objects, stock merchandise, move displays, etc. Must be able to lift 15 pounds unassisted Able to walk up and down up to 20 stairs at a time, several times a day, while carrying up to 5 pounds At times you may be required to work outdoors, and must dress appropriately for the current weather conditions See details of objects a few feet away and to see differences between colors, shades, and brightness Available to work nights, weekend and holidays The above noted job description is not intended to describe, in detail, the multitude of tasks that may be assigned but rather to provide a general sense of the responsibilities and expectations of this position. As the nature of business demands change, so too may the essential functions of this position. Please note that as an employer with over 100 employees, NOC will be required to comply with any OSHA Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard should that standard be enacted.
   The Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity in any and all terms, conditions or privileges of employment including hiring, promotions, termination, training and compensation. The NOC does not discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of age, race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic condition or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, where applicable. Furthermore, the NOC is committed to a work environment free of discrimination and harassment through respecting and valuing the diversity among employees and all those with whom the NOC does business.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right guide for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with guides they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit guides who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your guide job on Zippia to find and recruit guide candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with guide candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new guide

   Once you've found the guide candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new guide first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a guide?