Tour and Travel Guides Salary: How Much Do They Make? (2026)

Median pay, hourly rates, salary ranges, and best-paying states for Tour and Travel Guides — from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Official BLS wage data · Unknown vintage
Median Salary
$38,120
per year, national
Hourly Rate
$18.33
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
Top 10% Earn
$60,930
entry level starts ~$28,520
Pay Grade
C
below-average pay · 54,000 employed

How much do Tour and Travel Guides make?

Tour and Travel Guides earn a median annual salary of $38,120 in the United States, which works out to roughly $18.33 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $28,520 at the entry level and $60,930 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $32,910 and $47,700 a year.

That is $23,270 less than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).

Tour and Travel Guides salary range by percentile

Half of all Tour and Travel Guides earn between $32,910 and $47,700 a year.

Pay levelAnnual salaryHourly rate
10th percentile (entry level)$28,520$13.71
25th percentile (early career)$32,910$15.82
50th percentile (median)$38,120$18.33
75th percentile (experienced)$47,700$22.93
90th percentile (top earners)$60,930$29.29

Highest-paying states for Tour and Travel Guides

Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Washington leads the country for Tour and Travel Guides pay at $54,160 a year, followed by District of Columbia ($49,210) and Wyoming ($47,020). At the other end, Iowa posts the lowest median at $22,490 — a gap of $31,670 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.

#StateMedian salaryHourlyvs national
1Washington$54,160$26.04+42%
2District of Columbia$49,210$23.66+29%
3Wyoming$47,020$22.61+23%
4California$46,000$22.12+21%
5Hawaii$45,940$22.09+21%

Workforce and education

About 54,000 people work as Tour and Travel Guides in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $43,720 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.

Frequently asked questions

How much do Tour and Travel Guides make in the United States?
The median Tour and Travel Guides salary in the United States is $38,120 per year, or about $18.33 per hour, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates. Entry-level pay (10th percentile) starts around $28,520, while the top 10% of earners make $60,930 or more.
How does Tour and Travel Guides pay compare to other jobs?
With a pay grade of C (below-average pay), the Tour and Travel Guides median of $38,120 is below the national median across all occupations tracked in BLS data ($61,390).
Which state pays Tour and Travel Guides the most?
Washington is the highest-paying state for Tour and Travel Guides, with a median salary of $54,160 per year, based on official state-level BLS wage estimates.
What education do Tour and Travel Guides need?
For most positions, a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, according to O*NET occupation data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
How many Tour and Travel Guides work in the United States?
About 54,000 people were employed as Tour and Travel Guides in the United States in the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics estimates.

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Unknown vintage. Education requirements: O*NET (U.S. Department of Labor). Percentiles, employment, and state figures are official BLS estimates; hourly figures assume 2,080 hours/year. Individual pay varies by employer, experience, and location.