Museum guide demographics and statistics in the US
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Museum guide demographics by:
Museum guide gender statistics
62.6% of museum guides are women and 37.4% of museum guides are men.
- Female, 62.6%
- Male, 37.4%
Museum guide gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 62.6% |
| Male | 37.4% |
Museum guide gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,205
Female income
$26,690
Museum guide gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in museum guide positions over time. Currently, 62.6% of museum guides are female.
Museum guide gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 42.49% | 57.51% |
| 2011 | 45.47% | 54.53% |
| 2012 | 45.12% | 54.88% |
| 2013 | 46.98% | 53.02% |
| 2014 | 45.69% | 54.31% |
| 2015 | 40.80% | 59.20% |
| 2016 | 46.81% | 53.19% |
| 2017 | 47.29% | 52.71% |
| 2018 | 43.10% | 56.90% |
| 2019 | 44.59% | 55.41% |
| 2020 | 50.02% | 49.98% |
| 2021 | 37.42% | 62.58% |
Museum guide related jobs gender ratio
We compared museum guides with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, hunting guide and fishing guide have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Art Museum Docent | 21% | 79% |
| Tour Coordinator | 30% | 70% |
| Art Museum Aide | 30% | 70% |
| Museum Guide | 37% | 63% |
| Driver/Guide | 77% | 23% |
| Fishing Guide | 92% | 8% |
| Hunting Guide | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Museum guide demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among museum guides is White, which makes up 67.3% of all museum guides. Comparatively, 10.3% of museum guides are Hispanic or Latino and 9.9% of museum guides are Asian.
- White, 67.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.3%
- Asian, 9.9%
- Black or African American, 6.5%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Museum guide race
| Museum guide race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.3% |
| Asian | 9.9% |
| Black or African American | 6.5% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Museum guide race and ethnicity over time
See how museum guide racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Museum guide race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.64% | 5.33% | 6.10% | 9.43% |
| 2011 | 72.88% | 8.25% | 6.02% | 9.49% |
| 2012 | 71.50% | 9.30% | 5.80% | 9.18% |
| 2013 | 70.38% | 9.35% | 6.87% | 9.95% |
| 2014 | 70.22% | 7.72% | 6.14% | 10.21% |
| 2015 | 70.65% | 6.34% | 8.23% | 10.23% |
| 2016 | 67.72% | 8.19% | 9.21% | 11.09% |
| 2017 | 71.59% | 6.72% | 8.47% | 9.10% |
| 2018 | 71.66% | 6.46% | 6.88% | 11.06% |
| 2019 | 71.00% | 7.47% | 8.48% | 9.56% |
| 2020 | 65.55% | 7.76% | 7.12% | 12.29% |
| 2021 | 67.29% | 6.46% | 9.88% | 10.34% |
Museum guide wage gap by race
According to our data, asian museum guides have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american museum guides have the lowest average salary at $26,626.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $28,321 |
| White | $27,630 |
| Black or African American | $26,626 |
| Asian | $29,930 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $28,624 |
Museum guide age breakdown
The average age of museum guides is 20-30 years years old, representing 45% of the museum guide population.
Museum guide age breakdown
| Museum Guide Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 31% |
| 30-40 years | 17% |
| 20-30 years | 45% |
Museum guide educational attainment
The most common degree for museum guides is bachelor's degree, with 73% of museum guides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 73%
- Associate, 10%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Museum guides by degree level
| Museum guide degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 73% |
| Associate | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Museum guide jobs you might like
Museum guide wage gap by degree level
According to the data, museum guides with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $30,161 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, museum guides earn a median annual income of $29,659 compared to $27,265 for museum guides with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,265 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,659 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $30,161 |
Museum guide employment statistics
Most museum guides work for a education in the non profits industry.
Company size where museum guides work
Below, you can see the size of companies where museum guides work.
Museum guide jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 12% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 25% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 32% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 17% |
| > 10,000 employees | 5% |
Museum guide jobs by company type
Employees with the museum guide job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most museum guides prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Museum guide jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 38% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 34% |
| Government | 18% |
Museum guide jobs by industry
The most common industries for museum guides are non profits, education and government.
Museum guide industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Non Profits | 31% |
| Education | 23% |
| Government | 11% |
| Media | 7% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Retail | 5% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Professional | 1% |
Museum guide turnover and employment statistics
Museum guide unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for museum guides between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Museum guide unemployment rate by year
| Year | Museum guide unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 9.66% |
| 2011 | 10.21% |
| 2012 | 8.21% |
| 2013 | 8.92% |
| 2014 | 8.97% |
| 2015 | 5.96% |
| 2016 | 5.63% |
| 2017 | 5.79% |
| 2018 | 4.93% |
| 2019 | 5.72% |
| 2020 | 12.65% |
| 2021 | 10.96% |
Average museum guide tenure
The average museum guide stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 363 museum guides resumes in Zippia's database.
Museum guide tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 32% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Museum guide LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of museum guides that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Game Operator | 3.67% | 31,688 |
| Museum Guide | 9.47% | - |
| Pet Care Specialist | 10.47% | 117,277 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Residential Supervisor | 11.45% | 8,846 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Similar museum guide jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Game Operator | 3.67% | 31,688 |
| Pet Care Specialist | 10.47% | 117,277 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Residential Supervisor | 11.45% | 8,846 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Foreign languages spoken by museum guides
The most common foreign language among museum guides is Spanish at 38.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 16.7% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 9.5%.
- Spanish, 38.1%
- French, 16.7%
- Chinese, 9.5%
- Mandarin, 9.5%
- Italian, 9.5%
- Other, 16.7%
Museum guide languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 38.1% |
| French | 16.7% |
| Chinese | 9.5% |
| Mandarin | 9.5% |
| Italian | 9.5% |
| Other | 16.7% |