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Tour operator vs museum guide

The differences between tour operators 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 operator and a museum guide. Additionally, a tour operator has an average salary of $47,294, which is higher than the $26,914 average annual salary of a museum guide.

The top three skills for a tour operator include reservations, customer service and customer feedback. The most important skills for a museum guide are gift shop, museum visitors, and front desk.

Tour operator vs museum guide overview

Tour OperatorMuseum Guide
Yearly salary$47,294$26,914
Hourly rate$22.74$12.94
Growth rate4%12%
Number of jobs26,040921
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age3434
Years of experience22

Tour operator vs museum guide salary

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

Tour OperatorMuseum Guide
Average salary$47,294$26,914
Salary rangeBetween $27,000 And $82,000Between $17,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between tour operator and museum guide education

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

Tour OperatorMuseum Guide
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorBusinessHistory
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaStanford University

Tour operator vs museum guide demographics

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

Tour OperatorMuseum Guide
Average age3434
Gender ratioMale, 45.0% Female, 55.0%Male, 37.4% Female, 62.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 9.9% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%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 operator and museum guide duties and responsibilities

Tour operator example responsibilities.

  • Plan itineraries, make reservations, lead tours, obtain licenses for foreign pilots, manage a fleet of light aircraft.
  • Manage VIP guest calendar to ensure these guests are given quality service from staff.
  • Process and issue airlines, transfers, hotels, and city tours reservations for groups.
  • Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.
  • Film all selection tour events and act as intermediary between AAG and hundreds of Midwestern media outlets.
  • Train customers in operating Segway personal transport devices and hold entertaining tours.

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 operator vs museum guide skills

Common tour operator skills
  • Reservations, 32%
  • Customer Service, 22%
  • Customer Feedback, 4%
  • Travel Arrangements, 3%
  • Tour Guides, 3%
  • Reservation System, 3%
Common museum guide skills
  • Gift Shop, 13%
  • Museum Visitors, 12%
  • Front Desk, 11%
  • Informational Tours, 9%
  • Museum Guests, 9%
  • K-12, 8%

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