Tour guide demographics and statistics in the US
Tour guide demographics research summary. Zippia estimates tour guide demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our tour guide estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about tour guides after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,785 tour guides currently employed in the United States.
- 53.2% of all tour guides are women, while 46.8% are men.
- The average tour guide age is 34 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of tour guides is White (67.0%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.5%), Asian (9.9%) and Black or African American (6.6%).
- In 2022, women earned 93% of what men earned.
- 9% of all tour guides are LGBT.
- Tour guides are 65% more likely to work at education companies in comparison to private companies.
On this page
Tour guide demographics by:
Tour guide gender statistics
53.2% of tour guides are women and 46.8% of tour guides are men.
- Female, 53.2%
- Male, 46.8%
Tour guide gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Female | 53.2% |
| Male | 46.8% |
Tour guide gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$34,330
Female income
$31,976
Tour guide gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in tour guide positions over time. Currently, 53.2% of tour guides are female.
Tour guide gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 52.11% | 47.89% |
| 2011 | 55.13% | 44.87% |
| 2012 | 54.77% | 45.23% |
| 2013 | 56.62% | 43.38% |
| 2014 | 55.34% | 44.66% |
| 2015 | 50.38% | 49.62% |
| 2016 | 56.46% | 43.54% |
| 2017 | 56.93% | 43.07% |
| 2018 | 52.74% | 47.26% |
| 2019 | 54.24% | 45.76% |
| 2020 | 59.58% | 40.42% |
| 2021 | 46.84% | 53.16% |
Tour guide related jobs gender ratio
We compared tour 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% |
| Tour Guide | 47% | 53% |
| Driver/Guide | 77% | 23% |
| Fishing Guide | 92% | 8% |
| Hunting Guide | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Tour guide demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among tour guides is White, which makes up 67.0% of all tour guides. Comparatively, 10.5% of tour guides are Hispanic or Latino and 9.9% of tour guides are Asian.
- White, 67.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 10.5%
- Asian, 9.9%
- Black or African American, 6.6%
- Unknown, 5.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
Tour guide race
| Tour guide race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10.5% |
| Asian | 9.9% |
| Black or African American | 6.6% |
| Unknown | 5.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.7% |
Tour guide race and ethnicity over time
See how tour guide racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Tour guide race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.33% | 5.43% | 6.16% | 9.58% |
| 2011 | 72.58% | 8.35% | 6.09% | 9.64% |
| 2012 | 71.19% | 9.40% | 5.87% | 9.33% |
| 2013 | 70.07% | 9.45% | 6.94% | 10.10% |
| 2014 | 69.92% | 7.82% | 6.21% | 10.36% |
| 2015 | 70.35% | 6.44% | 8.30% | 10.38% |
| 2016 | 67.41% | 8.29% | 9.27% | 11.24% |
| 2017 | 71.28% | 6.82% | 8.53% | 9.25% |
| 2018 | 71.35% | 6.56% | 6.94% | 11.21% |
| 2019 | 70.69% | 7.57% | 8.55% | 9.71% |
| 2020 | 65.25% | 7.86% | 7.18% | 12.44% |
| 2021 | 66.99% | 6.56% | 9.95% | 10.50% |
Tour guide wage gap by race
According to our data, asian tour guides have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american tour guides have the lowest average salary at $31,877.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $34,512 |
| White | $33,432 |
| Black or African American | $31,877 |
| Asian | $37,054 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $34,988 |
Tour guide age breakdown
The average age of tour guides is 20-30 years years old, representing 45% of the tour guide population.
Tour guide age breakdown
| Tour Guide Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 31% |
| 30-40 years | 17% |
| 20-30 years | 45% |
Tour guide educational attainment
The most common degree for tour guides is bachelor's degree, with 70% of tour guides earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 11% and high school diploma degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 70%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 4%
Tour guides by degree level
| Tour guide degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 70% |
| High School Diploma | 11% |
| Associate | 10% |
| Master's | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 4% |
Tour guide jobs you might like
Tour guide wage gap by degree level
According to the data, tour guides with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $37,421 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, tour guides earn a median annual income of $36,623 compared to $32,866 for tour guides with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,866 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $36,623 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $37,421 |
Tour guide employment statistics
Most tour guides work for a education in the education industry.
Company size where tour guides work
Below, you can see the size of companies where tour guides work.
Tour guide jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 7% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 24% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 16% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 39% |
| > 10,000 employees | 8% |
Tour guide jobs by company type
Employees with the tour guide job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most tour guides prefer to work at education companies over private companies.
Tour guide jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 65% |
| Public | 6% |
| Private | 27% |
| Government | 2% |
Tour guide jobs by industry
The most common industries for tour guides are education, hospitality and non profits.
Tour guide industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 59% |
| Hospitality | 12% |
| Non Profits | 5% |
| Media | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Transportation | 2% |
| Fortune 500 | 2% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Health Care | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Tour guide turnover and employment statistics
Tour guide unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for tour guides between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Tour guide unemployment rate by year
| Year | Tour 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 tour guide tenure
The average tour guide stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 20,233 tour guides resumes in Zippia's database.
Tour guide tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 31% |
| 1-2 years | 33% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 4% |
| 11+ years | 5% |
Tour guide LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of tour 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Tour Guide | 9.47% | - |
| Dog Bather | 10.47% | 56,991 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Resident Advisor | 11.45% | 44,792 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Similar tour guide jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Dog Bather | 10.47% | 56,991 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Resident Advisor | 11.45% | 44,792 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
| Funeral Director | 15.24% | 5,746 |
Foreign languages spoken by tour guides
The most common foreign language among tour guides is Spanish at 41.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 14.5% and Chinese is the third-most popular at 6.7%.
- Spanish, 41.0%
- French, 14.5%
- Chinese, 6.7%
- German, 6.1%
- Italian, 5.7%
- Other, 26.0%
Tour guide languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 41.0% |
| French | 14.5% |
| Chinese | 6.7% |
| German | 6.1% |
| Italian | 5.7% |
| Other | 26.0% |
