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Historical site guide vs tour guide

The differences between historical site guides and tour guides can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a historical site guide and a tour guide. Additionally, a historical site guide has an average salary of $50,672, which is higher than the $32,323 average annual salary of a tour guide.

The top three skills for a historical site guide include front desk, historic sites and . The most important skills for a tour guide are local history, customer service, and safety practices.

Historical site guide vs tour guide overview

Historical Site GuideTour Guide
Yearly salary$50,672$32,323
Hourly rate$24.36$15.54
Growth rate--
Number of jobs8,4971,043
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age3434
Years of experience22

Historical site guide vs tour guide salary

Historical site guides and tour guides have different pay scales, as shown below.

Historical Site GuideTour Guide
Average salary$50,672$32,323
Salary rangeBetween $12,000 And $204,000Between $18,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-Alaska
Best paying company-Harley-Davidson
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between historical site guide and tour guide education

There are a few differences between a historical site guide and a tour guide in terms of educational background:

Historical Site GuideTour Guide
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 49%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorHistoryBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Historical site guide vs tour guide demographics

Here are the differences between historical site guides' and tour guides' demographics:

Historical Site GuideTour Guide
Average age3434
Gender ratioMale, 34.7% Female, 65.3%Male, 46.8% Female, 53.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between historical site guide and tour guide duties and responsibilities

Historical site guide example responsibilities.

  • Lead VIP guests on guide tours of the property and facilitate their involvement in special events, productions, and conventions.
  • Facilitate a therapeutic outdoor adventure experience for teenagers struggling with a variety of behavioral, mental health and substance abuse challenges.
  • Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.

Tour guide example responsibilities.

  • Manage the canoe landing including guests, workers, and canoe traffic in a way that all run smoothly and safely.
  • Aid clients with matters regarding passports and visas.
  • Receive multiple positive reviews on the company Facebook page.
  • Complete extensive training as well as first aid, CPR and a certification.
  • Maintain alertness for any problem solve calls via radio and communication with management.
  • Spearhead all creative activity for online marketing (Facebook), and other social media sites5.
  • Show more

Historical site guide vs tour guide skills

Common historical site guide skills
  • Front Desk, 56%
  • Historic Sites, 44%
Common tour guide skills
  • Local History, 22%
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Safety Practices, 16%
  • Public Speaking, 8%
  • Front Desk, 4%
  • Facebook, 3%

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