Best cities for a tour guide
The best cities for tour guides are Nashville, TN, San Francisco, CA, and Fresno, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for tour guides vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for tour guides in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a tour guide or considering a move, this list of the best cities for tour guides to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for tour guides. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a tour guide. While the absolute best city for tour guides is Nashville, TN, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for tour guides in 2024.
If you're looking for a tour guide job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for tour guides in 2026
1. Nashville, TN
Total tour guide jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $32,805 Lowest 10 percent warn: $19,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Location quotient: 3.87 2. San Francisco, CA
Total tour guide jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $41,520 Lowest 10 percent warn: $25,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $67,000 Location quotient: 2.66 3. Fresno, CA
Total tour guide jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $40,191 Lowest 10 percent warn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location quotient: 4.53 4. Boston, MA
Total tour guide jobs: 15 Average annual salary: $36,280 Lowest 10 percent warn: $14,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $88,000 Location quotient: 2.66 5. Louisville, KY
Total tour guide jobs: 16 Average annual salary: $30,179 Lowest 10 percent warn: $17,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location quotient: 11.53 6. Anaheim, CA
Total tour guide jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $39,049 Lowest 10 percent warn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location quotient: 2.50 7. Long Beach, CA
Total tour guide jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $39,141 Lowest 10 percent warn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location quotient: 2.08 8. Fort Wayne, IN
Total tour guide jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $35,121 Lowest 10 percent warn: $19,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Location quotient: 0.00 9. San Diego, CA
Total tour guide jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $38,584 Lowest 10 percent warn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Location quotient: 2.51 10. Memphis, TN
Total tour guide jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $32,519 Lowest 10 percent warn: $19,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location quotient: 0.00
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Choose from a variety of easy-to-use tour guide resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your tour guide resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for tour guides
- Nashville, TN
- San Francisco, CA
- Fresno, CA
- Boston, MA
- Louisville, KY
- Anaheim, CA
- Long Beach, CA
- Fort Wayne, IN
- San Diego, CA
- Memphis, TN
- (8 tour guide jobs)
- (21 tour guide jobs)
- (2 tour guide jobs)
- (15 tour guide jobs)
- (16 tour guide jobs)
- (1 tour guide jobs)
- (1 tour guide jobs)
- (0 tour guide jobs)
- (12 tour guide jobs)
- (0 tour guide jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a tour guide
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nashville, TN | $32,805 | $19,000 | 660,388 | 8 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | $41,520 | $25,000 | 870,887 | 21 |
| 3 | Fresno, CA | $40,191 | $24,000 | 522,053 | 2 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $36,280 | $14,000 | 673,184 | 15 |
| 5 | Louisville, KY | $30,179 | $17,000 | 597,337 | 16 |
| 6 | Anaheim, CA | $39,049 | $24,000 | 351,043 | 1 |
| 7 | Long Beach, CA | $39,141 | $24,000 | 470,130 | 1 |
| 8 | Fort Wayne, IN | $35,121 | $19,000 | 264,488 | - |
| 9 | San Diego, CA | $38,584 | $24,000 | 1,406,630 | 12 |
| 10 | Memphis, TN | $32,519 | $19,000 | 652,717 | - |
| 11 | Anchorage, AK | $41,102 | $25,000 | 298,192 | - |
| 12 | Los Angeles, CA | $39,305 | $24,000 | 3,976,322 | 11 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $35,112 | $20,000 | 855,164 | - |
| 14 | Arlington, TX | $30,279 | $18,000 | 392,772 | 1 |
| 15 | Sacramento, CA | $40,494 | $24,000 | 495,234 | - |
| 16 | Oakland, CA | $41,385 | $25,000 | 420,005 | - |
| 17 | Fremont, CA | $41,283 | $25,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 18 | Virginia Beach, VA | $36,331 | $19,000 | 452,602 | - |
| 19 | Wichita, KS | $34,809 | $22,000 | 389,902 | - |
| 20 | San Jose, CA | $41,258 | $25,000 | 1,025,350 | - |
| 21 | Norfolk, VA | $36,309 | $19,000 | 245,115 | - |
| 22 | Stockton, CA | $40,686 | $25,000 | 307,072 | - |
| 23 | Chesapeake, VA | $36,261 | $19,000 | 237,940 | - |
| 24 | Bakersfield, CA | $39,849 | $24,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 25 | Lexington, KY | $30,332 | $17,000 | 318,449 | - |
| 26 | Henderson, NV | $28,355 | $18,000 | 292,969 | 4 |
| 27 | Glendale, AZ | $28,967 | $18,000 | 245,895 | 2 |
| 28 | Lincoln, NE | $28,639 | $18,000 | 280,364 | 2 |
| 29 | Austin, TX | $29,792 | $17,000 | 947,890 | 14 |
| 30 | Santa Ana, CA | $39,005 | $24,000 | 334,217 | - |
| 31 | Saint Louis, MO | $29,759 | $18,000 | 311,404 | 5 |
| 32 | Oklahoma City, OK | $29,460 | $18,000 | 638,367 | 1 |
| 33 | Irvine, CA | $38,945 | $24,000 | 266,122 | - |
| 34 | Riverside, CA | $38,848 | $24,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 35 | Scottsdale, AZ | $28,893 | $18,000 | 246,645 | 7 |
| 36 | Chula Vista, CA | $38,549 | $24,000 | 267,172 | - |
| 37 | El Paso, TX | $31,143 | $19,000 | 683,080 | - |
| 38 | Durham, NC | $30,561 | $16,000 | 263,016 | 1 |
| 39 | Cleveland, OH | $28,953 | $15,000 | 385,809 | - |
| 40 | Las Vegas, NV | $28,418 | $18,000 | 632,912 | 4 |
| 41 | Tulsa, OK | $29,357 | $18,000 | 403,090 | - |
| 42 | Greensboro, NC | $30,517 | $17,000 | 287,027 | - |
| 43 | Plano, TX | $30,304 | $18,000 | 286,057 | - |
| 44 | Fort Worth, TX | $30,300 | $18,000 | 854,113 | - |
| 45 | Winston-Salem, NC | $30,493 | $17,000 | 242,203 | - |
| 46 | Irving, TX | $30,290 | $18,000 | 238,289 | - |
| 47 | San Antonio, TX | $29,707 | $17,000 | 1,492,510 | 4 |
| 48 | Garland, TX | $30,283 | $18,000 | 234,943 | - |
| 49 | Columbus, OH | $28,772 | $15,000 | 860,090 | - |
| 50 | Portland, OR | $33,860 | $20,000 | 639,863 | - |
Highest paying cities for tour guides
| Rank | City | Avg. tour guide salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $41,520 |
| 2 | Juneau, AK | $37,838 |
| 3 | Fredericksburg, VA | $36,370 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $36,280 |
| 5 | Indianapolis, IN | $35,112 |
| 6 | Bend, OR | $34,005 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $32,647 |
| 8 | Kailua, HI | $31,987 |
| 9 | Asheville, NC | $30,348 |
| 10 | Frankfort, KY | $30,281 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $29,818 |
| 12 | Austin, TX | $29,792 |
| 13 | Saint Louis, MO | $29,759 |
| 14 | Washington, DC | $29,413 |
| 15 | Duluth, GA | $29,362 |
| 16 | Las Vegas, NV | $28,418 |
| 17 | Philadelphia, PA | $27,784 |
| 18 | Gainesville, FL | $27,707 |
| 19 | Charleston, SC | $27,705 |
| 20 | Des Moines, IA | $27,609 |
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Updated January 8, 2025