River rafting guide vs tour operator

The differences between river rafting 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 river rafting guide and a tour operator. Additionally, a tour operator has an average salary of $47,294, 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 tour operator are reservations, customer service, and customer feedback.

River rafting guide vs tour operator overview

	River Rafting Guide	Tour Operator
Yearly salary	$42,002	$47,294
Hourly rate	$20.19	$22.74
Growth rate	-	4%
Number of jobs	950	26,040
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

River rafting guide vs tour operator salary

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

	River Rafting Guide	Tour Operator
Average salary	$42,002	$47,294
Salary range	Between $12,000 And $140,000	Between $27,000 And $82,000
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 tour operator education

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

	River Rafting Guide	Tour Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Southern California

River rafting guide vs tour operator demographics

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

	River Rafting Guide	Tour Operator
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1%	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%
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, 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 river rafting guide and tour operator 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.

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.

River rafting guide vs tour operator skills

Common river rafting guide skills

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

Common tour operator skills

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