JobAfterNext

Tour Guides and Escorts

Escort individuals or groups on sightseeing tours or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, and art galleries.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Tour Guides and Escorts separately. These are the figures for Tour and Travel Guides (39-7010), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.

Median annual wage, U.S.$38,120
Employment, U.S.53,500
Median hourly wage$18.33
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$28,520$32,910$38,120$47,700$60,930
By state (50)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama410$31,7000.56
Alaska1,660$44,21014.79
Arizona2,450$37,5602.20
Arkansas160$34,2900.37
California6,900$46,0001.10
Colorado2,150$42,8402.17
Connecticut220$35,0900.38
Delaware330$33,2101.96
District of Columbia380$49,2101.59
Florida2,720$41,6000.80
Georgia1,080$40,1900.64
Hawaii1,370$45,9406.35
Idaho460$37,9601.56
Illinois1,090$36,7800.52
Indiana700$31,0300.64
Iowa330$22,4900.61
Kansas400$43,7000.81
Kentucky1,010$36,0701.47
Louisiana580$32,0600.88
Maine270$44,9401.25
Maryland510$40,3100.54
Massachusetts1,760$37,8401.41
Michigan1,160$35,0900.76
Minnesota630$39,6500.63
Mississippi150$27,4600.38
Missouri1,360$31,9801.35
Montana680$40,1003.88
Nebraska340$31,5800.97
Nevada620$39,3601.16
New Hampshire260$41,6001.09
New Jersey390$36,6400.26
New Mexico360$37,0801.21
New York2,870$44,4500.86
North Carolina1,650$32,5700.97
North Dakota90$35,3600.63
Ohio1,000$32,8000.52
Oklahoma350$32,1500.60
Oregon530$39,2600.78
Pennsylvania1,970$32,9100.94
Rhode Island210$38,3101.21
South Carolina660$35,1900.83
South Dakota440$35,1002.81
Tennessee1,840$33,7601.63
Texas2,250$33,0800.47
Utah1,630$38,5402.73
Vermont140$45,9201.34
Washington1,420$54,1601.16
West Virginia270$28,5701.11
Wisconsin910$30,1600.90
Wyoming560$47,0205.80

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Concierges1-20.926
2Substitute Teachers, Short-Term40.924
3Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education40.918
4Teaching Assistants, Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School, Except Special Education30.916
5Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors40.911
6Self-Enrichment Teachers30.909
7Library Assistants, Clerical1-20.909
8Park Naturalists40.908
9Teaching Assistants, Special Education30.907
10Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks1-20.907

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Tour Guides and Escorts, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Library TechniciansReading Comprehension0.880.898

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Tour Guides and Escorts, excluding software Tour Guides and Escorts already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Google Classroom9 of 2018.9x
Children's educational software7 of 2035.9x
Schoology8 of 2019.4x
Flipgrid8 of 2016.1x
Seesaw7 of 2023.1x
Blackboard software9 of 207.3x
Google Meet8 of 208.4x
Tadpoles5 of 2028.8x
Kahoot!5 of 2025.6x
Nearpod6 of 2013.8x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
SpeakingEssential skill 3.88 3.25
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.25 3.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.25 3.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.12 2.88
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
MonitoringEssential skill 3.00 3.00
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.00 3.00
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.00 2.12
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 2.88 3.12
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 2.75 2.12
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.62 2.12
InstructingTransferable skill 2.38 2.25
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.25 2.62
Active LearningEssential skill 2.25 2.38
WritingEssential skill 2.25 2.25
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 1.62
MathematicsEssential skill 2.00 1.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 1.88 1.00
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.75 0.88
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 1.75 0.88
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 1.62 1.00
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.62 0.62
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.25not rated
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 1.25not rated
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.12not rated
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 1.00not rated
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.00not rated
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
RepairingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
ScienceEssential skill 1.00not rated
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Customer and Personal Service 4.42 4.89
English Language 4.13 4.19
History and Archeology 3.63 4.16
Communications and Media 3.23 2.74
Education and Training 3.18 3.69
Geography 2.88 3.32
Fine Arts 2.83 2.38
Public Safety and Security 2.80 2.32
Transportation 2.71 2.11
Psychology 2.62 2.20
Sociology and Anthropology 2.60 2.89
Administration and Management 2.48 1.69
Sales and Marketing 2.23 1.84
Computers and Electronics 2.17 1.95
Administrative 2.10 1.40
Philosophy and Theology 1.98 1.95
Biology 1.96not rated
Telecommunications 1.90 1.03
Foreign Language 1.87 1.51
Building and Construction 1.85 1.01
Design 1.82 1.25
Mechanical 1.80 1.15
Personnel and Human Resources 1.77 0.98
Law and Government 1.73 1.08
Mathematics 1.70 1.18
Food Production 1.60not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.53 1.03
Physics 1.45 0.64
Engineering and Technology 1.43 0.79
Production and Processing 1.39 0.85
Economics and Accounting 1.36 0.50
Medicine and Dentistry 1.35not rated
Chemistry 1.31not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Oral Expression 4.12 3.88
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.00
Speech Clarity 3.88 4.00
Speech Recognition 3.12 3.25
Far Vision 3.12 3.12
Written Comprehension 3.12 3.12
Problem Sensitivity 3.00 3.00
Near Vision 3.00 2.88
Deductive Reasoning 2.88 2.88
Inductive Reasoning 2.88 2.88
Information Ordering 2.88 2.88
Selective Attention 2.88 2.25
Written Expression 2.88 2.25
Memorization 2.75 2.75
Time Sharing 2.75 2.50
Category Flexibility 2.38 2.75
Originality 2.25 2.62
Fluency of Ideas 2.25 2.38
Flexibility of Closure 2.25 2.12
Trunk Strength 2.25 2.00
Stamina 2.00 1.62
Auditory Attention 2.00 1.50
Speed of Closure 2.00 1.50
Perceptual Speed 2.00 1.38
Visualization 2.00 1.38
Visual Color Discrimination 2.00 1.25
Mathematical Reasoning 2.00 1.12
Number Facility 2.00 1.12
Gross Body Coordination 1.88 1.50
Spatial Orientation 1.88 1.50
Hearing Sensitivity 1.88 1.00
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.75 1.00
Depth Perception 1.62 0.62
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.50 0.62
Dynamic Strength 1.50 0.62
Manual Dexterity 1.50 0.62
Static Strength 1.50 0.50
Control Precision 1.38 0.38
Finger Dexterity 1.38 0.38
Multilimb Coordination 1.38 0.38
Speed of Limb Movement 1.38 0.38
Extent Flexibility 1.25not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.25not rated
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.25not rated
Explosive Strength 1.12not rated
Night Vision 1.12not rated
Sound Localization 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Rate Control 1.00not rated
Reaction Time 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Tour Guides and Escorts separately. These are the figures for Tour and Travel Guides (39-7010), a combined BLS occupation that includes it.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Flagstaff, AZ41017.76$37,980
Fairbanks-College, AK14011.30$38,730
Kahului-Wailuku, HI26010.34$49,430
Anchorage, AK62010.19$44,400
Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ2309.17$39,360
Bozeman, MT1505.98$49,080
Pittsfield, MA1205.89$34,280
Napa, CA1405.23$43,280
Rapid City, SD1204.54$35,490
Urban Honolulu, HI7004.54$43,860

More metros, other thresholds