Tour and Travel Guides Salary
In Topeka, KS, tour and travel guides earn $49,780 at the median, or about $23.93 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers.
So what does $50K get you in Topeka?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Topeka’s Regional Price Parity (88.8). 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
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What this looks like in Topeka
Topeka sits well above the national pay line for tour and travel guides, local pay runs about 31% higher than the U.S. median of $38K. Rent runs $925/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.8 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tour and travel guides in metros near Topeka, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland | $45K | , |
| St. Louis | $32K | , |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $43K | , |
| Colorado Springs | $37K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Topeka, KS
Entry-level tour and travel guides (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $50K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $20K spread from bottom to top.
Tour and Travel Guides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tour and Travel Guides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $54K | +42% | 1,420 |
| District of Columbia | $49K | +29% | 380 |
| Wyoming | $47K | +23% | 560 |
| California | $46K | +21% | 6,900 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +21% | 1,370 |
| Vermont | $46K | +20% | 140 |
| Maine | $45K | +18% | 270 |
| New York | $44K | +17% | 2,870 |
| Alaska | $44K | +16% | 1,660 |
| Kansas | $44K | +15% | 400 |
| Colorado | $43K | +12% | 2,150 |
| Florida | $42K | +9% | 2,720 |
| New Hampshire | $42K | +9% | 260 |
| Maryland | $40K | +6% | 510 |
| Georgia | $40K | +5% | 1,080 |
| Montana | $40K | +5% | 680 |
| Minnesota | $40K | +4% | 630 |
| Nevada | $39K | +3% | 620 |
| Oregon | $39K | +3% | 530 |
| Utah | $39K | +1% | 1,630 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +0% | 210 |
| Idaho | $38K | -0% | 460 |
| Massachusetts | $38K | -1% | 1,760 |
| Arizona | $38K | -1% | 2,450 |
| New Mexico | $37K | -3% | 360 |
| Illinois | $37K | -4% | 1,090 |
| New Jersey | $37K | -4% | 390 |
| Kentucky | $36K | -5% | 1,010 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -7% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $35K | -8% | 660 |
| South Dakota | $35K | -8% | 440 |
| Connecticut | $35K | -8% | 220 |
| Michigan | $35K | -8% | 1,160 |
| Arkansas | $34K | -10% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $34K | -11% | 1,840 |
| Delaware | $33K | -13% | 330 |
| Texas | $33K | -13% | 2,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $33K | -14% | 1,970 |
| Ohio | $33K | -14% | 1,000 |
| North Carolina | $33K | -15% | 1,650 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -16% | 350 |
| Louisiana | $32K | -16% | 580 |
| Missouri | $32K | -16% | 1,360 |
| Alabama | $32K | -17% | 410 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -17% | 340 |
| Indiana | $31K | -19% | 700 |
| Wisconsin | $30K | -21% | 910 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -25% | 270 |
| Mississippi | $27K | -28% | 150 |
| Iowa | $22K | -41% | 330 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 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 Topeka numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tour and travel guide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Topeka?
Yes — at the median salary of $50K, rent takes 27.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $925/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for tour and travel guides in Topeka?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tour and travel guides typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,876/month. At HUD’s $925/month FMR, rent would take 49% 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 Topeka?
Local pay is 31% above the national median — $50K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Topeka compare to the national average for tour and travel guides?
Topeka pays $50K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tour and travel guides make in Topeka, KS?
The median is $49,780 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,260, and experienced tour and travel guides can clear $51,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $50K enough to live in Topeka?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,321/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $925/month, which eats 27.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a tour and travel guides salary go in Topeka?
Topeka has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tour and travel guides salary is worth about $56,059 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.