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.
Also known as: Admitting Office Escort, Adventure Guide, Alpine Guide, Art Museum Aide, Art Museum Docent, Discovery Guide, Docent, Duck Driver, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Outlook data not available.
What You'd Do
- Conduct educational activities for school children.
- Escort individuals or groups on cruises, sightseeing tours, or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, or art galleries.
- Describe tour points of interest to group members, and respond to questions.
- Monitor visitors' activities to ensure compliance with establishment or tour regulations and safety practices.
- Provide directions and other pertinent information to visitors.
- Select travel routes and sites to be visited based on knowledge of specific areas.
- Research various topics, including site history, environmental conditions, and clients' skills and abilities to plan appropriate expeditions, instruction, and commentary.
- Greet and register visitors, and issue any required identification badges or safety devices.
- Distribute brochures, show audiovisual presentations, and explain establishment processes and operations at tour sites.
- Provide for physical safety of groups, performing such activities as providing first aid or directing emergency evacuations.
- Provide information about wildlife varieties and habitats, as well as any relevant regulations, such as those pertaining to hunting and fishing.
- Collect fees and tickets from group members.
- Teach skills, such as proper climbing methods, and demonstrate and advise on the use of equipment.
- Solicit tour patronage and sell souvenirs.
- Speak foreign languages to communicate with foreign visitors.
- Assemble and check the required supplies and equipment prior to departure.
- Drive motor vehicles to transport visitors to establishments and tour site locations.
- Perform clerical duties, such as filing, typing, operating switchboards, or routing mail and messages.
- Train other guides and volunteers.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.