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Guide salary
Average guide salary
$16.58
Understanding Guide Salaries
The salary for a guide in the U.S. typically averages around $34,479 per year. However, this figure can fluctuate based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and industry specifics. For instance, guides working in high-demand tourist destinations may earn significantly more than those in less trafficked areas.
Salary Variations by State
Geographic location plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. States with high tourism rates often offer higher wages. For example, guides in California and Florida are likely to earn more compared to those in less visited states. Understanding these state-specific salary trends can assist aspiring guides in choosing the best locations for their careers.
Highest Paying Industries
In addition to location, the industry also affects earning potential. Guides in fields such as adventure tourism, wildlife excursions, or historical tours often see higher pay rates. By focusing on industries with robust demand for guides, individuals can maximize their earning potential while pursuing rewarding careers.
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Where can a Guide earn more?
Guide salary estimates from across the web
Average guide salary by state
The highest-paying states for guides are Alaska, Connecticut, and Washington. The lowest average guide salary states are South Carolina, Tennessee, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for guides
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $41,325 | $19.87 |
| 2 | Ohio | $39,970 | $19.22 |
| 3 | Oregon | $40,724 | $19.58 |
| 4 | Washington | $40,788 | $19.61 |
| 5 | Indiana | $39,873 | $19.17 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $41,165 | $19.79 |
| 7 | California | $40,307 | $19.38 |
| 8 | Georgia | $38,002 | $18.27 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $39,188 | $18.84 |
| 10 | Virginia | $38,601 | $18.56 |
| 11 | Kansas | $38,676 | $18.59 |
| 12 | Vermont | $37,732 | $18.14 |
| 13 | Iowa | $38,576 | $18.55 |
| 14 | Maine | $34,652 | $16.66 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $33,774 | $16.24 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $37,970 | $18.25 |
| 17 | Texas | $36,160 | $17.38 |
| 18 | Arkansas | $33,878 | $16.29 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $35,942 | $17.28 |
| 20 | Idaho | $37,794 | $18.17 |
| 21 | Colorado | $35,068 | $16.86 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $39,419 | $18.95 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $31,985 | $15.38 |
| 24 | Utah | $32,751 | $15.75 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $32,812 | $15.78 |
| 26 | New York | $36,936 | $17.76 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $35,351 | $17.00 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $35,628 | $17.13 |
| 29 | Montana | $31,525 | $15.16 |
| 30 | Arizona | $32,707 | $15.72 |
| 31 | Florida | $32,341 | $15.55 |
| 32 | Delaware | $30,524 | $14.68 |
| 33 | Missouri | $32,737 | $15.74 |
| 34 | Nevada | $32,343 | $15.55 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $30,999 | $14.90 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $32,963 | $15.85 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $32,337 | $15.55 |
| 38 | Michigan | $31,283 | $15.04 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $32,646 | $15.70 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $32,615 | $15.68 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $32,613 | $15.68 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $32,352 | $15.55 |
| 43 | Illinois | $31,686 | $15.23 |
| 44 | Alabama | $31,247 | $15.02 |
| 45 | Maryland | $32,982 | $15.86 |
| 46 | New Jersey | $33,519 | $16.11 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | $30,320 | $14.58 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $31,240 | $15.02 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $30,826 | $14.82 |
| 50 | Louisiana | $31,240 | $15.02 |
| 51 | Minnesota | $28,561 | $13.73 |
Highest paying cities for guides
The highest-paying cities for guides are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Hillsboro, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $42,641 | $20.50 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $41,294 | $19.85 |
| 3 | Hillsboro, OR | $40,850 | $19.64 |
| 4 | Columbus, OH | $39,945 | $19.20 |
| 5 | Indianapolis, IN | $39,841 | $19.15 |
| 6 | Alexandria, VA | $38,917 | $18.71 |
| 7 | Overland Park, KS | $38,657 | $18.59 |
| 8 | Atlanta, GA | $38,192 | $18.36 |
| 9 | Philadelphia, PA | $37,767 | $18.16 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $36,527 | $17.56 |
| 11 | Plano, TX | $36,497 | $17.55 |
| 12 | Chapel Hill, NC | $35,984 | $17.30 |
| 13 | Castle Rock, CO | $35,120 | $16.88 |
| 14 | Pensacola, FL | $34,749 | $16.71 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $33,986 | $16.34 |
| 16 | Saint Louis, MO | $32,971 | $15.85 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $32,386 | $15.57 |
| 18 | Las Vegas, NV | $32,161 | $15.46 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $31,701 | $15.24 |
| 20 | Pittsfield, MA | $31,576 | $15.18 |
Guide salary details
A guide's salary ranges from $17,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $68,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a guide's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $34,479 | $2,873 | $17 |
| 25th Percentile | $24,000 | $2,000 | $12 |
| 10th Percentile | $17,000 | $1,417 | $8 |
Highest paying guide jobs
The highest paying types of guides are hunting guide, wilderness guide, and fishing guide.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escort | $29,252 | $2,438 | $14.06 | 15,511 |
| Tour Guide | $32,323 | $2,694 | $15.54 | 1,043 |
Top companies hiring guides now:
Which companies pay guides the most?
Guide salaries at Salesforce and Eureka Ergonomic are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average guide salary at companies like Michelin and California Academy of Sciences are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Guide salary by industry
The average guide salary varies across industries:
- The average guide salary in the technology industry is $47,406, the highest of any industry.
- The average guide salary in the finance industry is $39,601.
- Guides in the retail industry earn an average salary of $31,386, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for guides
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $47,406 | $22.79 |
| 2 | Media | $39,601 | $19.04 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $36,797 | $17.69 |
| 4 | Start-up | $36,775 | $17.68 |
| 5 | Professional | $36,229 | $17.42 |
| 6 | Pharmaceutical | $35,762 | $17.19 |
| 7 | Health Care | $33,839 | $16.27 |
| 8 | Utilities | $33,205 | $15.96 |
| 9 | Retail | $31,386 | $15.09 |
High paying guide jobs
Guide salary trends
The average guide salary has risen by $6,336 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average guide earned $28,143 annually, but today, they earn $34,479 a year. That works out to a 16% change in pay for guides over the last decade.
Compare guide salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average guide salary over time
Compare guide salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Guide salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $34,500 | $16.58 | +6.3% |
| 2024 | $32,300 | $15.53 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $31,100 | $14.95 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $30,200 | $14.50 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $29,700 | $14.28 | +3.3% |
Recently added guide salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montage Hotels & Resorts | Activities Guide | Downe, NJ | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Casa de Paz Montessori | Bilingual Primary Montessori Guide | Dallas, TX | 06/29/2025 | $44,000 |
| Do & Co Aktiengesellschaft | Guide | New York, NY | 06/29/2025 | $41,427 |
| Blue Compass RV Liberty Lake | RV Sales Delivery Guide | Liberty Lake, WA | 06/29/2025 | $45,000 |
| The Villages | White Buffalo Adventure Guide at The Autism Center | The Villages, FL | 06/28/2025 | $31,305 |
| Industrial Light & Magic | Vacation Club Guide-Timeshare Sales, Disney Vacation Club (Aulani)-Expression of Interest | Kapolei, HI | 06/28/2025 | $48,500 |
| Mac's List | Seasonal Camp Guide | Portland, OR | 06/28/2025 | $48,794 |
| Pyramid Global Hospitality | Activities Guide | Seasonal | Lake Arrowhead, CA | 06/28/2025 | $34,436 |
| Related Companies | City Climb Guide (Seasonal | New York, NY | 06/27/2025 | $56,349 |
| Southern Oregon Goodwill Industries | Goodworks Guide | Roseburg, OR | 06/27/2025 | $35,896 |
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