Becoming a Tour Guide via Online Education?
At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths.
Strayer University, one of the highest ranking online
schools,
is a US school (accredited) offering travel and tourism courses to train individuals
to become top-notch
travel agents,
tourism agents,
tourism specialists,
tour guides,
tour managers,
tourism managers,
travel and tourism workers, etc.
Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 104,360 people employed as
ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers alone in America, and their average annual salary is
$19,610.
Tour guides and escorts make on average $25,990
per year and there are about 31,630
of them employed today.
Colleges and universities like Strayer University that provide online education are successfully launching workers into
this
field.
Typical Work Locations for a Tour Guide
- Hoover Dam
- Niagara Falls
- Las Vegas
- History Museum
- Art Museum
- Israel
- Pearl Harbor
- Alaska
- Pike Place Market
- Hollywood
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Tour Guide
- travel opportunities
- meeting people
- earning and saving money
- extra money for people in work
- working out how many hours you work
- employment and support allowance
- income support because of sickness or disability
- severe disablement allowance
- free admittance to great places
- steady work
Potential Drawbacks
- must have strong verbal communication skills
- must be able to retain historical facts and dates
- must have knowledge of points of interest on their tours
- may also need a special license for tour buses
- may need to speak multiple languages
- may have to pass a written exam
- may have to attend a training school
- must be a good storyteller
- must be able to handle problems that arise during tours
- must keep track of people on their tours
Related Professions to Consider
- Health Professions Admissions Counselor
- Tour Guide/Customer Service
- VIP Tour Guide
- Museum Tour Guide Lead Supervisor
- Product Development Manager
- Software Engineer
- Manager Of User Experience
- Retail Bookstore Clerk
- Human Resources Manager
- Healthcare Analytic Consultant
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Tour Guide
- How do you get keep people's attention?
- Tell me about yourself?
- What is the hardest part of being a tour guide for you?
- What is your greatest weakneses in life?
- Why is background knowledge important as a tour guide?
- Why interview with us?
- What is not on your resume that you think I should know about you?
- Describe your ideal tour.?
- Why should we have a tour guide at all?
- What other customer facing positions have you had?
Common Collaborating Professions
- Tour Guide To The National Parks
- LA Tour Guides
- Honolulu Tour Guide Jobs
- Lead Tour Guide
- Chinese female tour guide during Expo wanted
- Seattle Tour Guide Jobs
- Atlanta Tour Guides
- Miami Tour Guide Jobs
- New York Tour Guides
- Tour guide jobs Chicago
Tour Guide Training books
Tour Guide (More) Popular books
Potential Companies to Work For
Common College Majors
- arts&humanities
- business
- criminal justice
- education
- engineering
- health&medical
- science
- social science
- technology
- health care
Tour Guide Salary Information
Category: Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
| Total # Employed in the US |
104,360 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$9.43/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $7.25 |
$7.71 |
$8.68 |
$10.01 |
$12.63 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$19,610 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $15,070 |
$16,040 |
$18,050 |
$20,830 |
$26,270 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 10.1% |
36.7% |
28.8% |
4.9% |
15.4% |
3.4% |
0.6% |
|
Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Oklahoma |
$12.23/hr
|
$25,430
|
| New York |
$11.01/hr
|
$22,900
|
| Florida |
$10.61/hr
|
$22,060
|
| Utah |
$10.61/hr
|
$22,080
|
| Colorado |
$10.29/hr
|
$21,390
|
| Virginia |
$10.02/hr
|
$20,840
|
| Puerto Rico |
$9.94/hr
|
$20,680
|
| Delaware |
$9.91/hr
|
$20,620
|
| Tennessee |
$9.7/hr
|
$20,170
|
| Missouri |
$9.56/hr
|
$19,890
|
| Kansas |
$9.55/hr
|
$19,860
|
| District of Columbia |
$9.33/hr
|
$19,400
|
| Montana |
$9.21/hr
|
$19,160
|
| Indiana |
$9.2/hr
|
$19,140
|
| New Hampshire |
$9.18/hr
|
$19,090
|
| Connecticut |
$9.16/hr
|
$19,060
|
| Hawaii |
$9.02/hr
|
$18,750
|
| North Carolina |
$8.95/hr
|
$18,620
|
| South Carolina |
$8.86/hr
|
$18,430
|
| Massachusetts |
$8.82/hr
|
$18,340
|
| Mississippi |
$8.8/hr
|
$18,310
|
| Ohio |
$8.72/hr
|
$18,140
|
| Maine |
$8.69/hr
|
$18,080
|
| North Dakota |
$8.65/hr
|
$17,990
|
| California |
$8.51/hr
|
$17,700
|
| Michigan |
$8.44/hr
|
$17,560
|
| Maryland |
$8.42/hr
|
$17,510
|
| New Jersey |
$8.41/hr
|
$17,490
|
| Louisiana |
$8.4/hr
|
$17,470
|
| Nevada |
$8.38/hr
|
$17,440
|
| Arkansas |
$8.37/hr
|
$17,420
|
| Wisconsin |
$8.34/hr
|
$17,350
|
| Nebraska |
$8.32/hr
|
$17,310
|
| West Virginia |
$8.28/hr
|
$17,210
|
| Guam |
$8.24/hr
|
$17,140
|
| Iowa |
$8.22/hr
|
$17,100
|
| Alaska |
$8.22/hr
|
$17,100
|
| Idaho |
$8.2/hr
|
$17,060
|
| Kentucky |
$8.15/hr
|
$16,950
|
| Wyoming |
$8.04/hr
|
$16,730
|
| Washington |
$7.96/hr
|
$16,560
|
| South Dakota |
$7.96/hr
|
$16,550
|
| Pennsylvania |
$7.94/hr
|
$16,520
|
| Oregon |
$7.91/hr
|
$16,450
|
| New Mexico |
$7.79/hr
|
$16,200
|
| Alabama |
$7.67/hr
|
$15,950
|
Category: Tour guides and escorts
| Total # Employed in the US |
31,630 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$12.5/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $7.72 |
$8.89 |
$11.42 |
$14.87 |
$18.87 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$25,990 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $16,060 |
$18,490 |
$23,750 |
$30,920 |
$39,240 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 5.4% |
23.3% |
22.8% |
8.6% |
27.5% |
10.8% |
1.5% |
|
Tour guides and escorts — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Florida |
$15.43/hr
|
$32,080
|
| Oklahoma |
$15.03/hr
|
$31,260
|
| Tennessee |
$14.81/hr
|
$30,810
|
| Alaska |
$14.64/hr
|
$30,450
|
| Hawaii |
$14.5/hr
|
$30,170
|
| Connecticut |
$13.39/hr
|
$27,850
|
| Colorado |
$13.3/hr
|
$27,660
|
| Missouri |
$13.07/hr
|
$27,190
|
| Alabama |
$12.78/hr
|
$26,580
|
| New Jersey |
$12.72/hr
|
$26,460
|
| Montana |
$12.7/hr
|
$26,420
|
| Guam |
$12.5/hr
|
$26,010
|
| Iowa |
$12.45/hr
|
$25,890
|
| North Carolina |
$12.34/hr
|
$25,670
|
| Arkansas |
$12.19/hr
|
$25,360
|
| Nebraska |
$12.15/hr
|
$25,280
|
| Nevada |
$12.13/hr
|
$25,240
|
| North Dakota |
$12.09/hr
|
$25,150
|
| Indiana |
$12.01/hr
|
$24,990
|
| Utah |
$11.94/hr
|
$24,830
|
| District of Columbia |
$11.8/hr
|
$24,540
|
| Virginia |
$11.76/hr
|
$24,470
|
| Ohio |
$11.65/hr
|
$24,230
|
| New York |
$11.53/hr
|
$23,990
|
| California |
$11.5/hr
|
$23,920
|
| Idaho |
$11.36/hr
|
$23,620
|
| Mississippi |
$11.2/hr
|
$23,290
|
| New Hampshire |
$11.16/hr
|
$23,210
|
| South Dakota |
$11.09/hr
|
$23,070
|
| Michigan |
$10.93/hr
|
$22,740
|
| Massachusetts |
$10.91/hr
|
$22,690
|
| Wisconsin |
$10.86/hr
|
$22,580
|
| Maryland |
$10.86/hr
|
$22,590
|
| Puerto Rico |
$10.84/hr
|
$22,550
|
| South Carolina |
$10.77/hr
|
$22,390
|
| Washington |
$10.47/hr
|
$21,770
|
| Louisiana |
$10.42/hr
|
$21,680
|
| Maine |
$10.37/hr
|
$21,570
|
| Wyoming |
$10.34/hr
|
$21,500
|
| Kentucky |
$10.02/hr
|
$20,840
|
| Delaware |
$9.94/hr
|
$20,670
|
| West Virginia |
$9.67/hr
|
$20,120
|
| Pennsylvania |
$9.43/hr
|
$19,610
|
| Oregon |
$9.3/hr
|
$19,340
|
| New Mexico |
$8.74/hr
|
$18,180
|
