How much does a tour guide make?
Answer: A typical tour guide in the United States makes $38,120 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 54,000 people work in this job. Below the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Tour guide pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $28,520 | $38,120 | $60,930 | about 54,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $54,160 | about 1,000 |
| Wyoming | $47,020 | about 560 |
| California | $46,000 | about 7,000 |
| Hawaii | $45,940 | about 1,000 |
| New York | $44,450 | about 3,000 |
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay can differ with experience and skills, credentials or licenses, the employer and location, and the kind of tour. Self-employed guides may set their own rates, and work hours, shifts, and tips can also affect earnings.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a tour guide do?
What's a typical day like?
A guide checks the route and stories, greets visitors, then leads them through a museum or historic district, pointing out details and answering questions. They keep the group on pace and safe; some guides lead several tours in one day.
How to get this job
Most U.S. guides finish high school, then learn routes and tour facts on the job; history, art, and language classes help. There is no one starting-age rule nationwide: local rules differ, and New York City requires guides to be 18 or older and pass a city exam.
Did you know?
Some tours last over 12 hours, and tour guides may lead more than one tour in the same day.
Earn more in the same field
Personal Care and Service jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/tour-and-travel-guides.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/wage-differences.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-7011.00
- www.nyc.gov/site/dca/businesses/license-checklist-sightseeing-guide.page
- www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/print/tour-and-travel-guides.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY