Tour and Travel Guides Salary
In Arizona, tour and travel guides earn $37,560 at the median, or about $18.06 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Note: the mean (average) wage is $71K, significantly higher than the median. This typically reflects a mix of employment settings including academic and private practice positions. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $38,959 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,437/month, about 55.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $38K get you in Arizona?
About tour and travel guides
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What this looks like in Arizona
Tour and travel guides pay in Arizona tracks closely to the national median, $38K locally vs. $38K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,437/month, which is 55.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level tour and travel guides (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Tour and Travel Guides salary by metro in Arizona
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $39K | +5% | 230 |
| Flagstaff | $38K | +1% | 410 |
Compare to other states
Track tour and travel guides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arizona numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tour and travel guide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arizona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 55.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tour and travel guides in Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tour and travel guides typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,901/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tour and travel guide a high-paying job in Arizona?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $38K locally vs. $38K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for tour and travel guides?
Arizona pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tour and travel guides make in Arizona?
The median is $37,560 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,680, and experienced tour and travel guides can clear $62,020. The mean (average) is $70,860, reflecting that some workers earn substantially more. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,607/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 55.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tour and travel guides salary go in Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tour and travel guides salary is worth about $38,959 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tour and travel guides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.