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Tour Guide

$36,660
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Lead groups through attractions, museums, or landmarks, describing history and answering visitors' questions along the way.

Where you work

Museums, landmarks, and outdoor sites

The hours

Often shift, part-time, or seasonal

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$36,660
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~13,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+8%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
55,800
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: Short on-the-job training after high school.

License or certification

No license is usually required, though some cities license guides who work at official sites.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Public speakingLocal knowledgeCustomer serviceStorytelling

The honest take

Leads visitors through sites and attractions and explains their history, work that often follows the tourist season.

Standard Occupational Classification 39-7010. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.