Mountain guide vs tour operator

The differences between mountain guides and tour operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a mountain guide and a tour operator. Additionally, a mountain guide has an average salary of $47,584, which is higher than the $47,294 average annual salary of a tour operator.

The top three skills for a mountain guide include CPR, responder and safety procedures. The most important skills for a tour operator are reservations, customer service, and customer feedback.

Mountain guide vs tour operator overview

	Mountain Guide	Tour Operator
Yearly salary	$47,584	$47,294
Hourly rate	$22.88	$22.74
Growth rate	-	4%
Number of jobs	851	26,040
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Mountain guide vs tour operator salary

Mountain guides and tour operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mountain Guide	Tour Operator
Average salary	$47,584	$47,294
Salary range	Between $12,000 And $187,000	Between $27,000 And $82,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between mountain guide and tour operator education

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

	Mountain Guide	Tour Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Environmental Science	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Southern California

Mountain guide vs tour operator demographics

Here are the differences between mountain guides' and tour operators' demographics:

	Mountain Guide	Tour Operator
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1%	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 9.9% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between mountain guide and tour operator duties and responsibilities

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.

Tour operator example responsibilities.

Plan itineraries, make reservations, lead tours, obtain licenses for foreign pilots, manage a fleet of light aircraft.
Manage VIP guest calendar to ensure these guests are given quality service from staff.
Process and issue airlines, transfers, hotels, and city tours reservations for groups.
Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.
Film all selection tour events and act as intermediary between AAG and hundreds of Midwestern media outlets.
Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.

Mountain guide vs tour operator skills

Common mountain guide skills

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

Common tour operator skills

Reservations, 32%
Customer Service, 22%
Customer Feedback, 4%
Travel Arrangements, 3%
Tour Guides, 3%
Reservation System, 3%