River rafting guide vs mountain guide

The differences between river rafting 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 river rafting guide and a mountain guide. Additionally, a mountain guide has an average salary of $47,584, which is higher than the $42,002 average annual salary of a river rafting guide.

The top three skills for a river rafting guide include safety procedures, first-aid and responder. The most important skills for a mountain guide are CPR, responder, and safety procedures.

River rafting guide vs mountain guide overview

	River Rafting Guide	Mountain Guide
Yearly salary	$42,002	$47,584
Hourly rate	$20.19	$22.88
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	950	851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

River rafting guide vs mountain guide salary

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

	River Rafting Guide	Mountain Guide
Average salary	$42,002	$47,584
Salary range	Between $12,000 And $140,000	Between $12,000 And $187,000
Highest paying City	Charlemont, MA	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	Whitewater Express, Inc.	-
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between river rafting guide and mountain guide education

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

	River Rafting Guide	Mountain Guide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Science
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

River rafting guide vs mountain guide demographics

Here are the differences between river rafting guides' and mountain guides' demographics:

	River Rafting Guide	Mountain Guide
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1%	Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 9.5% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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 river rafting guide and mountain guide duties and responsibilities

River rafting guide example responsibilities.

Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
paddle rafts and stern-mount oar frames, shredders, duckies and kayaks.
Operate non-motorize craft (e.g., canoes, inflatable craft, rafts, kayaks, etc . )
Utilize TSQL when needing information from the SQL database.
Spot VIP guest immediately and provide special treatment including prefer tables.
Guide and teach youth outdoor rock climbing skills and first aid 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.

River rafting guide vs mountain guide skills

Common river rafting guide skills

Safety Procedures, 39%
First-Aid, 19%
Responder, 8%
Safety Equipment, 7%
III-IV, 4%
Emergency Situations, 2%

Common mountain guide skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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