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The differences between tour guides and travel agents 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 travel agent. Additionally, a travel agent has an average salary of $33,128, 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 travel agent are reservations, booking, and AAA.
| Tour Guide | Travel Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $32,323 | $33,128 |
| Hourly rate | $15.54 | $15.93 |
| Growth rate | - | 20% |
| Number of jobs | 1,043 | 34,166 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Average age | 34 | 51 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
As their title describes, tour guides offer guided tours to individuals or groups of visitors. Tour guides undertake research and plan tours, provide sightseeing advice, and organize excursions. They transport and accompany their guests to the tourist spots in specific destinations. They are expected to be experts on the historical background and culture of an area. A useful tour guide must be equipped with enough enthusiasm, punctuality, keen sense, strong communication skills, and a steel-trap memory.
Travel agents help plan, choose, and organize travel schedules. Generally, they ensure that clients can efficiently process their travel plans and get the best travel experience possible. Primarily, they assist individuals, groups, and business travelers in booking their flights and hotel accommodations, buying tickets to events, and arranging their transport from one place to the other. They also provide recommendations for itineraries and offer travel packages from different airlines, hotels, or cruise lines. Travel agents can work as freelancers or mostly be employed by travel agencies.
Tour guides and travel agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tour Guide | Travel Agent | |
| Average salary | $32,323 | $33,128 |
| Salary range | Between $18,000 And $55,000 | Between $26,000 And $41,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Madison, WI |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Wisconsin |
| Best paying company | Harley-Davidson | Perkins Coie |
| Best paying industry | Education | Technology |
There are a few differences between a tour guide and a travel agent in terms of educational background:
| Tour Guide | Travel Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 39% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between tour guides' and travel agents' demographics:
| Tour Guide | Travel Agent | |
| Average age | 34 | 51 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.8% Female, 53.2% | Male, 21.9% Female, 78.1% |
| 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, 7.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.1% Asian, 8.7% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 17% |