Tour and Travel Guides Salary in Charleston, WV
In Charleston, WV, tour and travel guides earn $23,190 at the median — $11.15 an hour. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $48K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.72), which stretches that salary to about $26,138 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,036/month — about 63.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $23K get you in Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (88.72). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction.
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Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston, WV
Entry-level tour and travel guides (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $23K. Top earners bring in $48K or more, a $28K 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 Charleston numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
How much do tour and travel guides make in Charleston, WV?
The median is $23,190 a year, that works out to about $11 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,510, and experienced tour and travel guides can clear $48,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $23K enough to live in Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $1,662/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,036/month, which eats 62.3% 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 Charleston?
Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 88.72 (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 $26,138 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.