Tour guide vs river guide

The differences between tour guides and river 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 river guide. Additionally, a river guide has an average salary of $39,322, which is higher than the $32,323 average annual salary of a tour guide.

The top three skills for a tour guide include local history, customer service and safety practices. The most important skills for a river guide are safety procedures, summer season, and emergency situations.

Tour guide vs river guide overview

	Tour Guide	River Guide
Yearly salary	$32,323	$39,322
Hourly rate	$15.54	$18.90
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	1,043	950
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Tour guide vs river guide salary

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

	Tour Guide	River Guide
Average salary	$32,323	$39,322
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $55,000	Between $13,000 And $113,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Harley-Davidson	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between tour guide and river guide education

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

	Tour Guide	River Guide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common major	Business	Environmental Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Tour guide vs river guide demographics

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

	Tour Guide	River Guide
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 46.8% Female, 53.2%	Male, 69.2% Female, 30.8%
Race ratio	Black 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, 10.4% Asian, 9.2% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between tour guide and river 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.

River guide example responsibilities.

Lead students and leaders backpacking into the wilderness while using the natural settings to teach technical teamwork and leadership skills.
Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
Focus on safety, service, and leadership.
Facilitate a therapeutic outdoor adventure experience for teenagers struggling with a variety of behavioral, mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Spot VIP guest immediately and provide special treatment including prefer tables.

Tour guide vs river guide skills

Common tour guide skills

Local History, 22%
Customer Service, 19%
Safety Practices, 16%
Public Speaking, 8%
Front Desk, 4%
Facebook, 3%

Common river guide skills

Safety Procedures, 56%
Summer Season, 12%
Emergency Situations, 6%
Kayaks, 4%
I-III, 4%
III-IV, 3%