SalariesThe pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $28,520 | $2,377 | $548 | $13.71 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $32,910 | $2,742 | $633 | $15.82 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $38,120 | $3,177 | $733 | $18.33 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $47,700 | $3,975 | $917 | $22.93 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $60,930 | $5,078 | $1,172 | $29.29 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Tour and Travel Guides is $38,120, which is 25% lower. Among the 32 occupations of the field Personal Care and Service, it ranks number 17 by median pay. With 53,500 jobs, it makes up about 3.4 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($43,720) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Tour and Travel Guides pay by state
The highest median pay was in Virgin Islands ($102,020), Washington ($54,160) and District of Columbia ($49,210). The lowest was in Iowa ($22,490), Mississippi ($27,460) and Puerto Rico ($27,860). The most jobs were in California (6,900), New York (2,870) and Florida (2,720). The occupation is most concentrated in Alaska, where its share of all jobs is 14.8 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $102,020 | $87,690 | $49.05 |
| Washington | 1,420 | $54,160 | $56,820 | $26.04 |
| District of Columbia | 380 | $49,210 | $52,460 | $23.66 |
| Wyoming | 560 | $47,020 | $46,880 | $22.60 |
| California | 6,900 | $46,000 | $49,180 | $22.11 |
| Hawaii | 1,370 | $45,940 | $47,270 | $22.09 |
| Vermont | 140 | $45,920 | $51,440 | $22.08 |
| Maine | 270 | $44,940 | $44,250 | $21.61 |
| New York | 2,870 | $44,450 | $50,890 | $21.37 |
| Alaska | 1,660 | $44,210 | $48,510 | $21.25 |
| Kansas | 400 | $43,700 | $42,120 | $21.01 |
| Colorado | 2,150 | $42,840 | $43,520 | $20.59 |
| Florida | 2,720 | $41,600 | $44,060 | $20.00 |
| New Hampshire | 260 | $41,600 | $46,430 | $20.00 |
| Maryland | 510 | $40,310 | $40,630 | $19.38 |
| Georgia | 1,080 | $40,190 | $49,040 | $19.32 |
| Montana | 680 | $40,100 | $39,800 | $19.28 |
| Minnesota | 630 | $39,650 | $40,600 | $19.06 |
| Nevada | 620 | $39,360 | $39,300 | $18.92 |
| Oregon | 530 | $39,260 | $43,170 | $18.88 |
| Utah | 1,630 | $38,540 | $42,080 | $18.53 |
| Rhode Island | 210 | $38,310 | $46,710 | $18.42 |
| Idaho | 460 | $37,960 | $40,470 | $18.25 |
| Massachusetts | 1,760 | $37,840 | $40,620 | $18.19 |
| Arizona | 2,450 | $37,560 | $70,860 | $18.06 |
| New Mexico | 360 | $37,080 | $40,370 | $17.83 |
| Illinois | 1,090 | $36,780 | $38,420 | $17.68 |
| New Jersey | 390 | $36,640 | $46,570 | $17.61 |
| Kentucky | 1,010 | $36,070 | $37,680 | $17.34 |
| North Dakota | 90 | $35,360 | $39,410 | $17.00 |
| South Carolina | 660 | $35,190 | $44,790 | $16.92 |
| South Dakota | 440 | $35,100 | $37,640 | $16.88 |
| Connecticut | 220 | $35,090 | $42,990 | $16.87 |
| Michigan | 1,160 | $35,090 | $36,650 | $16.87 |
| Arkansas | 160 | $34,290 | $36,240 | $16.49 |
| Tennessee | 1,840 | $33,760 | $36,040 | $16.23 |
| Delaware | 330 | $33,210 | $35,570 | $15.97 |
| Texas | 2,250 | $33,080 | $38,680 | $15.90 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,970 | $32,910 | $36,500 | $15.82 |
| Ohio | 1,000 | $32,800 | $33,430 | $15.77 |
| North Carolina | 1,650 | $32,570 | $34,290 | $15.66 |
| Oklahoma | 350 | $32,150 | $33,140 | $15.46 |
| Louisiana | 580 | $32,060 | $41,200 | $15.42 |
| Missouri | 1,360 | $31,980 | $35,870 | $15.38 |
| Alabama | 410 | $31,700 | $31,620 | $15.24 |
| Nebraska | 340 | $31,580 | $34,400 | $15.18 |
| Indiana | 700 | $31,030 | $31,970 | $14.92 |
| Wisconsin | 910 | $30,160 | $36,440 | $14.50 |
| West Virginia | 270 | $28,570 | $34,140 | $13.74 |
| Puerto Rico | 490 | $27,860 | $32,060 | $13.40 |
| Mississippi | 150 | $27,460 | $29,200 | $13.20 |
| Iowa | 330 | $22,490 | $28,730 | $10.81 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Concierges$38,950 a year
- Motion Picture Projectionists$38,270 a year
- Barbers$38,210 a year
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops$37,080 a year
- Recreation Workers$36,560 a year
- Gambling Service Workers, All Other$36,310 a year
Common questions
How much do Tour and Travel Guides earn in the United States?
The median pay was $38,120 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $28,520 and the highest-paid 10% more than $60,930.
How many people work as Tour and Travel Guides?
About 53,500 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.