Tour operator vs outdoor guide

The differences between tour operators and outdoor 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 an outdoor guide. Additionally, an outdoor guide has an average salary of $49,220, which is higher than the $47,294 average annual salary of a tour operator.

The top three skills for a tour operator include reservations, customer service and customer feedback. The most important skills for an outdoor guide are responder, GPS, and outdoor education.

Tour operator vs outdoor guide overview

	Tour Operator	Outdoor Guide
Yearly salary	$47,294	$49,220
Hourly rate	$22.74	$23.66
Growth rate	4%	-
Number of jobs	26,040	911
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 84%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Tour operator vs outdoor guide salary

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

	Tour Operator	Outdoor Guide
Average salary	$47,294	$49,220
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $82,000	Between $12,000 And $199,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between tour operator and outdoor guide education

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

	Tour Operator	Outdoor Guide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 84%
Most common major	Business	Recreation Management
Most common college	University of Southern California	Stanford University

Tour operator vs outdoor guide demographics

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

	Tour Operator	Outdoor Guide
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 45.0% Female, 55.0%	Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2%
Race ratio	Black 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, 6.7% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 9.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between tour operator and outdoor 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.

Outdoor guide example responsibilities.

Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
Steer a large voyageur canoe, teach paddling skills, and safety practices.
Guide backpacking, canoe, white-water raft trips with a non-profit outdoor youth development program.
Facilitate a therapeutic outdoor adventure experience for teenagers struggling with a variety of behavioral, mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Manage commercial whitewater rafting outfit.

Tour operator vs outdoor guide skills

Common tour operator skills

Reservations, 32%
Customer Service, 22%
Customer Feedback, 4%
Travel Arrangements, 3%
Tour Guides, 3%
Reservation System, 3%

Common outdoor guide skills

Responder, 25%
GPS, 16%
Outdoor Education, 14%
Natural History, 14%
Adventure Programs, 7%
Customer Service, 6%