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National park tour guide vs river guide

The differences between national park tour guides and river 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 national park tour guide and a river guide. Additionally, a national park tour guide has an average salary of $52,257, which is higher than the $39,322 average annual salary of a river guide.

The top three skills for a national park tour guide include yellowstone, and . The most important skills for a river guide are safety procedures, summer season, and emergency situations.

National park tour guide vs river guide overview

National Park Tour GuideRiver Guide
Yearly salary$52,257$39,322
Hourly rate$25.12$18.90
Growth rate--
Number of jobs5,162950
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 100%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age3434
Years of experience22

National park tour guide vs river guide salary

National park tour guides and river guides have different pay scales, as shown below.

National Park Tour GuideRiver Guide
Average salary$52,257$39,322
Salary rangeBetween $13,000 And $201,000Between $13,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between national park tour guide and river guide education

There are a few differences between a national park tour guide and a river guide in terms of educational background:

National Park Tour GuideRiver Guide
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 100%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorGeographyEnvironmental Science
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

National park tour guide vs river guide demographics

Here are the differences between national park tour guides' and river guides' demographics:

National Park Tour GuideRiver Guide
Average age3434
Gender ratioMale, 51.6% Female, 48.4%Male, 69.2% Female, 30.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 8.4% White, 73.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 9.2% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between national park tour guide and river guide duties and responsibilities

National park tour guide example responsibilities.

  • Manage commercial whitewater rafting outfit.
  • 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.

River guide example responsibilities.

  • Lead students and leaders backpacking into the wilderness while using the natural settings to teach technical teamwork and leadership skills.
  • Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
  • Focus on safety, service, and leadership.
  • Facilitate a therapeutic outdoor adventure experience for teenagers struggling with a variety of behavioral, mental health and substance abuse challenges.
  • Spot VIP guest immediately and provide special treatment including prefer tables.

National park tour guide vs river guide skills

Common national park tour guide skills
  • Yellowstone, 100%
Common river guide skills
  • Safety Procedures, 56%
  • Summer Season, 12%
  • Emergency Situations, 6%
  • Kayaks, 4%
  • I-III, 4%
  • III-IV, 3%

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