Post job

Tour guide vs museum guide

The differences between tour guides and museum 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 tour guide and a museum guide. Additionally, a tour guide has an average salary of $32,323, which is higher than the $26,914 average annual salary of a museum guide.

The top three skills for a tour guide include local history, customer service and safety practices. The most important skills for a museum guide are gift shop, museum visitors, and front desk.

Tour guide vs museum guide overview

Tour GuideMuseum Guide
Yearly salary$32,323$26,914
Hourly rate$15.54$12.94
Growth rate-12%
Number of jobs1,043921
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3434
Years of experience22

Tour guide vs museum guide salary

Tour guides and museum guides have different pay scales, as shown below.

Tour GuideMuseum Guide
Average salary$32,323$26,914
Salary rangeBetween $18,000 And $55,000Between $17,000 And $40,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyHarley-Davidson-
Best paying industryEducation-

Differences between tour guide and museum guide education

There are a few differences between a tour guide and a museum guide in terms of educational background:

Tour GuideMuseum Guide
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessHistory
Most common collegeStanford UniversityStanford University

Tour guide vs museum guide demographics

Here are the differences between tour guides' and museum guides' demographics:

Tour GuideMuseum Guide
Average age3434
Gender ratioMale, 46.8% Female, 53.2%Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 9.9% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between tour guide and museum guide duties and responsibilities

Tour guide example responsibilities.

  • Manage the canoe landing including guests, workers, and canoe traffic in a way that all run smoothly and safely.
  • Aid clients with matters regarding passports and visas.
  • Receive multiple positive reviews on the company Facebook page.
  • Complete extensive training as well as first aid, CPR and a certification.
  • Maintain alertness for any problem solve calls via radio and communication with management.
  • Spearhead all creative activity for online marketing (Facebook), and other social media sites5.
  • Show more

Museum guide example responsibilities.

  • Manage the canoe landing including guests, workers, and canoe traffic in a way that all run smoothly and safely.
  • Patrol assign area, conduct bag inspection at access post.
  • Facilitate a therapeutic outdoor adventure experience for teenagers struggling with a variety of behavioral, mental health and substance abuse challenges.
  • Monitor checkout stations to ensure that they have adequate cash available and that they are staffed appropriately.

Tour guide vs museum guide skills

Common tour guide skills
  • Local History, 22%
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Safety Practices, 16%
  • Public Speaking, 8%
  • Front Desk, 4%
  • Facebook, 3%
Common museum guide skills
  • Gift Shop, 13%
  • Museum Visitors, 12%
  • Front Desk, 11%
  • Informational Tours, 9%
  • Museum Guests, 9%
  • K-12, 8%

Browse personal care and attendants jobs