Hunting guide vs mountain guide

The differences between hunting guides and mountain 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 hunting guide and a mountain guide. Additionally, a hunting guide has an average salary of $65,410, which is higher than the $47,584 average annual salary of a mountain guide.

The top three skills for a hunting guide include elk, customer service and food plots. The most important skills for a mountain guide are CPR, responder, and safety procedures.

Hunting guide vs mountain guide overview

	Hunting Guide	Mountain Guide
Yearly salary	$65,410	$47,584
Hourly rate	$31.45	$22.88
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	854	851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Hunting guide vs mountain guide salary

Hunting guides and mountain guides have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Hunting Guide	Mountain Guide
Average salary	$65,410	$47,584
Salary range	Between $15,000 And $282,000	Between $12,000 And $187,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between hunting guide and mountain guide education

There are a few differences between a hunting guide and a mountain guide in terms of educational background:

	Hunting Guide	Mountain Guide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Science
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Hunting guide vs mountain guide demographics

Here are the differences between hunting guides' and mountain guides' demographics:

	Hunting Guide	Mountain Guide
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 94.3% Female, 5.7%	Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 10.1% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between hunting guide and mountain guide duties and responsibilities

Hunting guide example responsibilities.

Manage commercial whitewater rafting outfit.
Certify in first aid and CPR
Reserve and stage canoes and kayaks for guests.
Assist docents at discovery theatre animal encounters and birthday parties.
Commit to memory Alaskan history and convey that information during tours.
Certify in firearm safety, bow hunter safety, CPR and emergency survival.

Mountain guide example responsibilities.

Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
Instruct clients on techniques, equipment, leadership, and decision-making in mountain environments.
Advance leadership abilities, and constantly double-check tasks for correctness and safety
Facilitate a therapeutic outdoor adventure experience for teenagers struggling with a variety of behavioral, mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Manage commercial whitewater rafting outfit.

Hunting guide vs mountain guide skills

Common hunting guide skills

Elk, 30%
Customer Service, 17%
Food Plots, 14%
Whitetail, 12%
CPR, 9%
Insemination, 7%

Common mountain guide skills

CPR, 41%
Responder, 34%
Safety Procedures, 25%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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