# Tour Guides and Escorts

> Escort individuals or groups on sightseeing tours or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, and art galleries.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/tour-guides-and-escorts
- SOC code: 39-7011.00
- Career family: Personal care and service
- Median annual pay: $38,120 (10th percentile $28,520, 90th percentile $60,930)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +6.3%
- Openings a year: 11,900
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Tour and travel guides".

## Interest profile (code SEA)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 39 |
| Investigative (I) | 23 |
| Artistic (A) | 41 |
| Social (S) | 73 |
| Enterprising (E) | 44 |
| Conventional (C) | 31 |

## What you'd do

- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public (importance 82/100)
- Getting Information (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization (importance 75/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 75/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 74/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 66/100)
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others (importance 57/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 57/100)
- Training and Teaching Others (importance 54/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 54/100)

## Skills

Speaking, Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Coordination, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, History and Archeology, Communications and Media, Education and Training, Geography, Fine Arts, Public Safety and Security, Transportation, Psychology

## Also called

Admitting Office Escort, Adventure Guide, Alpine Guide, Art Museum Aide, Art Museum Docent, Discovery Guide, Docent, Duck Driver, Environmental Educator, Escort

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [History](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5401) (CIP 5401, 1,464 colleges)
- [Archeology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4503) (CIP 4503, 86 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Dartmouth College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dartmouth-college-769) | History | $69,917 | $136,403 | $12,000 |
| [Duke University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/duke-university-837) | History | $53,104 | $112,377 | not reported |
| [Yale University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/yale-university-3312) | History | $61,357 | $109,947 | $7,500 |
| [Amherst College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/amherst-college-72) | History | $54,456 | $103,601 | not reported |
| [Washington and Lee University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/washington-and-lee-university-3167) | History | not reported | $100,087 | not reported |
| [Columbia University in the City of New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york-656) | History | $58,276 | $98,079 | $22,250 |
| [University of Pennsylvania UPENN](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-pennsylvania-upenn-3009) | History | $55,825 | $88,517 | not reported |
| [Brown University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brown-university-314) | History | $60,823 | $85,520 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Travel Guides](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/travel-guides): $38,120 median pay
- [Park Naturalists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/park-naturalists): $73,010 median pay
- [Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/ushers-lobby-attendants-and-ticket-takers): $32,910 median pay
- [Travel Agents](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/travel-agents): $50,160 median pay
- [Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/reservation-and-transportation-ticket-agents-and-travel-clerks): $44,390 median pay
- [Concierges](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/concierges): $38,950 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.