Tour and Travel Guides Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for tour and travel guidess across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $43,720 ≈ $21/hr
National median salary $38,120
Total employment 53,500 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +8.1%
Much faster than average
Annual openings 13,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 55,800 → 60,300 (+4,500)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Arizona$70,860
- Washington$56,820
- District of Columbia$52,460
- Vermont$51,440
- New York$50,890
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Iowa$28,730
- Mississippi$29,200
- Alabama$31,620
- Indiana$31,970
- Oklahoma$33,140
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $70,860 | $37,560 | $34 | +62.1% | 2,450 |
| 2 | Washington | $56,820 | $54,160 | $27 | +30% | 1,420 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $52,460 | $49,210 | $25 | +20% | 380 |
| 4 | Vermont | $51,440 | $45,920 | $25 | +17.7% | 140 |
| 5 | New York | $50,890 | $44,450 | $24 | +16.4% | 2,870 |
| 6 | California | $49,180 | $46,000 | $24 | +12.5% | 6,900 |
| 7 | Georgia | $49,040 | $40,190 | $24 | +12.2% | 1,080 |
| 8 | Alaska | $48,510 | $44,210 | $23 | +11% | 1,660 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $47,270 | $45,940 | $23 | +8.1% | 1,370 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $46,880 | $47,020 | $23 | +7.2% | 560 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $46,710 | $38,310 | $22 | +6.8% | 210 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $46,570 | $36,640 | $22 | +6.5% | 390 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $46,430 | $41,600 | $22 | +6.2% | 260 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $44,790 | $35,190 | $22 | +2.4% | 660 |
| 15 | Maine | $44,250 | $44,940 | $21 | +1.2% | 270 |
| 16 | Florida | $44,060 | $41,600 | $21 | +0.8% | 2,720 |
| 17 | Colorado | $43,520 | $42,840 | $21 | -0.5% | 2,150 |
| 18 | Oregon | $43,170 | $39,260 | $21 | -1.3% | 530 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $42,990 | $35,090 | $21 | -1.7% | 220 |
| 20 | Kansas | $42,120 | $43,700 | $20 | -3.7% | 400 |
| 21 | Utah | $42,080 | $38,540 | $20 | -3.8% | 1,630 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $41,200 | $32,060 | $20 | -5.8% | 580 |
| 23 | Maryland | $40,630 | $40,310 | $20 | -7.1% | 510 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $40,620 | $37,840 | $20 | -7.1% | 1,760 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $40,600 | $39,650 | $20 | -7.1% | 630 |
| 26 | Idaho | $40,470 | $37,960 | $19 | -7.4% | 460 |
| 27 | New Mexico | $40,370 | $37,080 | $19 | -7.7% | 360 |
| 28 | Montana | $39,800 | $40,100 | $19 | -9% | 680 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $39,410 | $35,360 | $19 | -9.9% | 90 |
| 30 | Nevada | $39,300 | $39,360 | $19 | -10.1% | 620 |
| 31 | Texas | $38,680 | $33,080 | $19 | -11.5% | 2,250 |
| 32 | Illinois | $38,420 | $36,780 | $18 | -12.1% | 1,090 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $37,680 | $36,070 | $18 | -13.8% | 1,010 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $37,640 | $35,100 | $18 | -13.9% | 440 |
| 35 | Michigan | $36,650 | $35,090 | $18 | -16.2% | 1,160 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $36,500 | $32,910 | $18 | -16.5% | 1,970 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $36,440 | $30,160 | $18 | -16.7% | 910 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $36,240 | $34,290 | $17 | -17.1% | 160 |
| 39 | Tennessee | $36,040 | $33,760 | $17 | -17.6% | 1,840 |
| 40 | Missouri | $35,870 | $31,980 | $17 | -18% | 1,360 |
| 41 | Delaware | $35,570 | $33,210 | $17 | -18.6% | 330 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $34,400 | $31,580 | $17 | -21.3% | 340 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $34,290 | $32,570 | $16 | -21.6% | 1,650 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $34,140 | $28,570 | $16 | -21.9% | 270 |
| 45 | Ohio | $33,430 | $32,800 | $16 | -23.5% | 1,000 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $33,140 | $32,150 | $16 | -24.2% | 350 |
| 47 | Indiana | $31,970 | $31,030 | $15 | -26.9% | 700 |
| 48 | Alabama | $31,620 | $31,700 | $15 | -27.7% | 410 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $29,200 | $27,460 | $14 | -33.2% | 150 |
| 50 | Iowa | $28,730 | $22,490 | $14 | -34.3% | 330 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 242 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $63,630 | $61,460 | 870 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,330 | $60,710 | 640 |
| 3 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $55,870 | $56,200 | 30 |
| 4 | Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area | $55,850 | $54,840 | 50 |
| 5 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $54,550 | $51,430 | 120 |
| 6 | Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area | $54,530 | $51,670 | 80 |
| 7 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $54,080 | $58,180 | 40 |
| 8 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $52,480 | $54,340 | 970 |
| 9 | Casper, WY | $51,120 | $54,560 | 60 |
| 10 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $50,320 | $55,130 | 540 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do tour and travel guides make in the U.S.?
The median tour and travel guides salary in the United States is $38,120 per year (mean $43,720), and about 80% earn between $28,520 and $60,930.
How much do tour and travel guides make per hour?
Roughly $21 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $43,720 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays tour and travel guides the most?
Arizona has the highest average pay for tour and travel guides at $70,860 per year (median $37,560).
What is the job outlook for tour and travel guides?
Employment is projected to change +8.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 13,000 openings per year.