Tour and Travel Guides Salary in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
In Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA, tour and travel guides earn $30,320 at the median — $14.58 an hour. The range runs from $20K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $33,064 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,318/month — about 63.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $30K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tour and travel guides
Sponsored links — AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level tour and travel guides (10th percentile) start around $20K. Mid-career wages sit at $30K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $23K 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
How much do tour and travel guides make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $30,320 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $20,150, and experienced tour and travel guides can clear $42,880. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $30K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,089/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 63.1% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $33,064 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.