Tour and travel guides
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Tour and travel guides in the United States earn a median salary of $38,120 per year — about $18 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 56K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of +8%.
AI & Automation Risk
While AI can automate the digital aspects of the job—such as researching history, planning itineraries, and providing multilingual translations—the core of the role requires physical presence and real-time human interaction. Guides must physically escort groups through unpredictable environments, manage group dynamics, and provide a personal, empathetic experience that digital tools cannot fully replicate.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WABEST VALUE | $63,630 | Above avg (111.1) | $57,256 |
| Topeka, KS | $49,780 | Below avg (88.8) | $56,046 |
| Casper, WY | $51,120 | Below avg (93.8) | $54,482 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $59,330 | Above avg (110.4) | $53,730 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $55,870 | Above avg (105.6) | $52,904 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $50,320 | Average (100.1) | $50,291 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $54,550 | Above avg (108.6) | $50,232 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $49,540 | Average (101.4) | $48,847 |
| Bozeman, MT | $49,080 | Average (102.5) | $47,878 |
| Helena, MT | $45,140 | Below avg (95.7) | $47,181 |
| Monroe, LA | $39,260 | Below avg (83.6) | $46,963 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | $47,070 | Average (101.9) | $46,211 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | $42,530 | Below avg (92.7) | $45,866 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $52,480 | Above avg (115.6) | $45,393 |
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | $49,430 | Above avg (109.4) | $45,186 |