Tour and Travel Guides Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tour and travel guides is $38,120, or $18.33 per hour. About 53,500 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $54,160 in Washington to $22,490 in Iowa.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 50 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $54,160 | $26.04 | 1,420 | 1.16 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $49,210 | $23.66 | 380 | 1.59 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $47,020 | $22.60 | 560 | 5.80 |
| 4 | California | $46,000 | $22.11 | 6,900 | 1.10 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $45,940 | $22.09 | 1,370 | 6.35 |
| 6 | Vermont | $45,920 | $22.08 | 140 | 1.34 |
| 7 | Maine | $44,940 | $21.61 | 270 | 1.25 |
| 8 | New York | $44,450 | $21.37 | 2,870 | 0.86 |
| 9 | Alaska | $44,210 | $21.25 | 1,660 | 14.79 |
| 10 | Kansas | $43,700 | $21.01 | 400 | 0.81 |
| 11 | Colorado | $42,840 | $20.59 | 2,150 | 2.17 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $41,600 | $20.00 | 260 | 1.09 |
| 13 | Florida | $41,600 | $20.00 | 2,720 | 0.80 |
| 14 | Maryland | $40,310 | $19.38 | 510 | 0.54 |
| 15 | Georgia | $40,190 | $19.32 | 1,080 | 0.64 |
| 16 | Montana | $40,100 | $19.28 | 680 | 3.88 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $39,650 | $19.06 | 630 | 0.63 |
| 18 | Nevada | $39,360 | $18.92 | 620 | 1.16 |
| 19 | Oregon | $39,260 | $18.88 | 530 | 0.78 |
| 20 | Utah | $38,540 | $18.53 | 1,630 | 2.73 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $38,310 | $18.42 | 210 | 1.21 |
| 22 | Idaho | $37,960 | $18.25 | 460 | 1.56 |
| 23 | Massachusetts | $37,840 | $18.19 | 1,760 | 1.41 |
| 24 | Arizona | $37,560 | $18.06 | 2,450 | 2.20 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $37,080 | $17.83 | 360 | 1.21 |
| 26 | Illinois | $36,780 | $17.68 | 1,090 | 0.52 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $36,640 | $17.61 | 390 | 0.26 |
| 28 | Kentucky | $36,070 | $17.34 | 1,010 | 1.47 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $35,360 | $17.00 | 90 | 0.63 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $35,190 | $16.92 | 660 | 0.83 |
| 31 | South Dakota | $35,100 | $16.88 | 440 | 2.81 |
| 32 | Michigan | $35,090 | $16.87 | 1,160 | 0.76 |
| 33 | Connecticut | $35,090 | $16.87 | 220 | 0.38 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $34,290 | $16.49 | 160 | 0.37 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $33,760 | $16.23 | 1,840 | 1.63 |
| 36 | Delaware | $33,210 | $15.97 | 330 | 1.96 |
| 37 | Texas | $33,080 | $15.90 | 2,250 | 0.47 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $32,910 | $15.82 | 1,970 | 0.94 |
| 39 | Ohio | $32,800 | $15.77 | 1,000 | 0.52 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $32,570 | $15.66 | 1,650 | 0.97 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $32,150 | $15.46 | 350 | 0.60 |
| 42 | Louisiana | $32,060 | $15.42 | 580 | 0.88 |
| 43 | Missouri | $31,980 | $15.38 | 1,360 | 1.35 |
| 44 | Alabama | $31,700 | $15.24 | 410 | 0.56 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $31,580 | $15.18 | 340 | 0.97 |
| 46 | Indiana | $31,030 | $14.92 | 700 | 0.64 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $30,160 | $14.50 | 910 | 0.90 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $28,570 | $13.74 | 270 | 1.11 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $27,460 | $13.20 | 150 | 0.38 |
| 50 | Iowa | $22,490 | $10.81 | 330 | 0.61 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do tour and travel guides make?
The median annual wage for tour and travel guides in the United States is $38,120, or $18.33 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $28,520, and the top 10% earn $60,930.
How many tour and travel guides are employed in the U.S.?
About 53,500 people work as tour and travel guides nationwide.
Which state pays tour and travel guides the most?
Washington pays the most at a median of $54,160, followed by District of Columbia ($49,210) and Wyoming ($47,020).
Which state pays tour and travel guides the least?
Iowa has the lowest median at $22,490.
Where are tour and travel guides jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Alaska at 14.79×.