Wilderness guide vs mountain guide

The differences between wilderness guides and mountain 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 wilderness guide and a mountain guide. Additionally, a wilderness guide has an average salary of $63,944, which is higher than the $47,584 average annual salary of a mountain guide.

The top three skills for a wilderness guide include CPR, responder and canoe. The most important skills for a mountain guide are CPR, responder, and safety procedures.

Wilderness guide vs mountain guide overview

	Wilderness Guide	Mountain Guide
Yearly salary	$63,944	$47,584
Hourly rate	$30.74	$22.88
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	851	851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age	34	34
Years of experience	2	2

Wilderness guide vs mountain guide salary

Wilderness guides and mountain guides have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Wilderness Guide	Mountain Guide
Average salary	$63,944	$47,584
Salary range	Between $17,000 And $228,000	Between $12,000 And $187,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between wilderness guide and mountain guide education

There are a few differences between a wilderness guide and a mountain guide in terms of educational background:

	Wilderness Guide	Mountain Guide
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common major	Psychology	Environmental Science
Most common college	Johns Hopkins University	University of Pennsylvania

Wilderness guide vs mountain guide demographics

Here are the differences between wilderness guides' and mountain guides' demographics:

	Wilderness Guide	Mountain Guide
Average age	34	34
Gender ratio	Male, 61.9% Female, 38.1%	Male, 75.9% Female, 24.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 9.0% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 10.1% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between wilderness guide and mountain guide duties and responsibilities

Wilderness guide example responsibilities.

Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
Reside on-site in remote Alaskan wilderness setting.
Drive full size off-road buses to transport clients back to canoe launch site.
canoe rental agent and driver for delivery and pick up of clients on the local rivers.
Facilitate daily leadership lessons and debriefings.
Ensure participant's safety and well-being, practicing responsibility and leadership.

Mountain guide example responsibilities.

Manage payroll - specifically manage overtime.
Instruct clients on techniques, equipment, leadership, and decision-making in mountain environments.
Advance leadership abilities, and constantly double-check tasks for correctness and safety
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.

Wilderness guide vs mountain guide skills

Common wilderness guide skills

CPR, 22%
Responder, 15%
Canoe, 9%
Alaskan, 9%
Substance Abuse, 8%
Trip Planning, 6%

Common mountain guide skills

CPR, 41%
Responder, 34%
Safety Procedures, 25%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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