Tour and Travel Guides Salary in Asheville, NC
In Asheville, NC, tour and travel guides earn $35,800 at the median — $17.21 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $42K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.51), that's roughly $37,095 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,567/month — about 63% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $36K get you in Asheville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Asheville’s Regional Price Parity (96.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction.
About tour and travel guides
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Asheville, NC
Entry-level tour and travel guides (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $36K. Top earners bring in $42K or more, a $19K spread from bottom to top.
Tour and Travel Guides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $53K | +46% | 190 |
| District of Columbia | $52K | +42% | 230 |
| Idaho | $51K | +39% | 380 |
| Wyoming | $49K | +34% | 180 |
| Washington | $49K | +33% | 1,370 |
| Alaska | $45K | +23% | 1,650 |
| Hawaii | $45K | +22% | 1,150 |
| California | $42K | +15% | 6,940 |
| Oregon | $40K | +8% | 480 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +7% | 1,440 |
| Maine | $39K | +6% | 220 |
| Utah | $39K | +6% | 1,590 |
| Nevada | $38K | +3% | 560 |
| New York | $38K | +2% | 2,250 |
| Minnesota | $37K | -0% | 410 |
| Montana | $36K | -1% | 580 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -1% | 710 |
| Rhode Island | $36K | -2% | 230 |
| New Hampshire | $36K | -3% | 150 |
| Maryland | $36K | -3% | 410 |
| Georgia | $35K | -3% | 1,180 |
| Wisconsin | $35K | -4% | 730 |
| Florida | $35K | -4% | 3,030 |
| New Jersey | $35K | -4% | 490 |
| Illinois | $35K | -4% | 1,140 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -4% | 460 |
| Tennessee | $35K | -5% | 1,110 |
| Connecticut | $34K | -6% | 360 |
| South Dakota | $34K | -6% | 350 |
| North Dakota | $34K | -6% | 60 |
| Virginia | $34K | -8% | 1,270 |
| Michigan | $34K | -9% | 1,050 |
| North Carolina | $33K | -9% | 1,710 |
| Kansas | $33K | -9% | 300 |
| South Carolina | $33K | -11% | 770 |
| Pennsylvania | $32K | -12% | 1,750 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -13% | 390 |
| Ohio | $31K | -15% | 990 |
| Arkansas | $31K | -15% | 240 |
| Missouri | $31K | -15% | 1,360 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -18% | 280 |
| Texas | $30K | -18% | 2,450 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -18% | 630 |
| Alabama | $30K | -19% | 430 |
| Iowa | $29K | -21% | 280 |
| Delaware | $29K | -21% | 230 |
| Indiana | $29K | -22% | 560 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -26% | 160 |
| West Virginia | $26K | -30% | 440 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tour and travel guides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Asheville numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do tour and travel guides make in Asheville, NC?
The median is $35,800 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $22,400, and experienced tour and travel guides can clear $41,840. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $36K enough to live in Asheville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,433/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,567/month, which eats 64.4% 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 Asheville?
Asheville has a Regional Price Parity of 96.51 (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 $37,095 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.