Tour Guides and Escorts
Also called: Docent, Historical Interpreter, Museum Guide, Tour GuideEscort individuals or groups on sightseeing tours or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, and art galleries.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 6.3% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Tour and travel guides”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 11.1 hires for every 10 job openings in arts, entertainment, and recreation, which employs about 54% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.11.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $31,700 | $26,900 to $35,090 | 410 |
| Alaska | $44,210 | $37,330 to $50,060 | 1,660 |
| Arizona | $37,560 | $34,910 to $46,610 | 2,450 |
| Arkansas | $34,290 | $30,040 to $41,340 | 160 |
| California | $46,000 | $38,770 to $57,510 | 6,900 |
| Colorado | $42,840 | $36,630 to $47,110 | 2,150 |
| Connecticut | $35,090 | $34,220 to $43,860 | 220 |
| Delaware | $33,210 | $31,200 to $34,330 | 330 |
| District of Columbia | $49,210 | $39,650 to $58,940 | 380 |
| Florida | $41,600 | $33,510 to $52,720 | 2,720 |
| Georgia | $40,190 | $34,270 to $67,090 | 1,080 |
| Hawaii | $45,940 | $38,350 to $50,320 | 1,370 |
| Idaho | $37,960 | $29,980 to $46,950 | 460 |
| Illinois | $36,780 | $33,160 to $40,210 | 1,090 |
| Indiana | $31,030 | $27,160 to $36,340 | 700 |
| Iowa | $22,490 | $21,260 to $35,010 | 330 |
| Kansas | $43,700 | $31,260 to $52,790 | 400 |
| Kentucky | $36,070 | $32,910 to $41,600 | 1,010 |
| Louisiana | $32,060 | $24,760 to $58,480 | 580 |
| Maine | $44,940 | $35,100 to $47,930 | 270 |
| Maryland | $40,310 | $33,740 to $45,810 | 510 |
| Massachusetts | $37,840 | $35,560 to $42,170 | 1,760 |
| Michigan | $35,090 | $33,440 to $36,750 | 1,160 |
| Minnesota | $39,650 | $35,370 to $44,820 | 630 |
| Mississippi | $27,460 | $23,000 to $34,530 | 150 |
| Missouri | $31,980 | $29,710 to $37,090 | 1,360 |
| Montana | $40,100 | $28,340 to $48,830 | 680 |
| Nebraska | $31,580 | $28,080 to $34,750 | 340 |
| Nevada | $39,360 | $32,400 to $43,620 | 620 |
| New Hampshire | $41,600 | $32,150 to $47,260 | 260 |
| New Jersey | $36,640 | $33,160 to $44,860 | 390 |
| New Mexico | $37,080 | $30,380 to $46,690 | 360 |
| New York | $44,450 | $37,160 to $50,600 | 2,870 |
| North Carolina | $32,570 | $28,690 to $37,230 | 1,650 |
| North Dakota | $35,360 | $32,910 to $43,680 | 90 |
| Ohio | $32,800 | $24,600 to $37,290 | 1,000 |
| Oklahoma | $32,150 | $24,490 to $40,720 | 350 |
| Oregon | $39,260 | $33,970 to $48,890 | 530 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,910 | $27,860 to $44,430 | 1,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $27,860 | $22,680 to $37,270 | 490 |
| Rhode Island | $38,310 | $34,900 to $48,710 | 210 |
| South Carolina | $35,190 | $29,740 to $48,810 | 660 |
| South Dakota | $35,100 | $33,800 to $39,540 | 440 |
| Tennessee | $33,760 | $29,740 to $36,900 | 1,840 |
| Texas | $33,080 | $28,250 to $45,270 | 2,250 |
| Utah | $38,540 | $35,090 to $45,440 | 1,630 |
| Vermont | $45,920 | $43,690 to $55,850 | 140 |
| Virgin Islands | $102,020 | $102,020 to $102,030 | 50 |
| Washington | $54,160 | $43,150 to $66,020 | 1,420 |
| West Virginia | $28,570 | $22,420 to $37,500 | 270 |
| Wisconsin | $30,160 | $28,070 to $38,010 | 910 |
| Wyoming | $47,020 | $33,960 to $58,040 | 560 |
Nationally: $38,120. State figures are for BLS's “Tour and travel guides”. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 6 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Describe tour points of interest to group members, and respond to questions. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Escort individuals or groups on cruises, sightseeing tours, or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, or art galleries. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide directions and other pertinent information to visitors. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Research various topics, including site history, environmental conditions, and clients' skills and abilities to plan appropriate expeditions, instruction, and commentary. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Conduct educational activities for school children. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor visitors' activities to ensure compliance with establishment or tour regulations and safety practices. | Not published |
See all 19 tasks
| Not much | Select travel routes and sites to be visited based on knowledge of specific areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Provide for physical safety of groups, performing such activities as providing first aid or directing emergency evacuations. | Not published |
| Not much | Greet and register visitors, and issue any required identification badges or safety devices. | Not published |
| Not much | Train other guides and volunteers. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble and check the required supplies and equipment prior to departure. | Not published |
| Not much | Distribute brochures, show audiovisual presentations, and explain establishment processes and operations at tour sites. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide information about wildlife varieties and habitats, as well as any relevant regulations, such as those pertaining to hunting and fishing. | Not published |
| Not much | Solicit tour patronage and sell souvenirs. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect fees and tickets from group members. | Not published |
| AI alone | Perform clerical duties, such as filing, typing, operating switchboards, or routing mail and messages. | 0.01% |
| Not much | Drive motor vehicles to transport visitors to establishments and tour site locations. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach skills, such as proper climbing methods, and demonstrate and advise on the use of equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Speak foreign languages to communicate with foreign visitors. | under 0.01% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 5 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- and 4 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Provide general assistance to others, such as customers, patrons, or motorists | |||
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Interpret language, cultural, or religious information for others | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Promote products, services, or programs |
Show all 20 activities
| Monitor individual behavior or performance | |||
| Teach life skills | |||
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Train others on operational or work procedures | |||
| Monitor resources or inventories | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Administer emergency medical treatment | |||
| Escort others |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer32%
- A plan or strategy10%
- An analysis or summary9%
- Advice or a recommendation7%
- A document or report7%
How they worked with Claude
27% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for tour guides and escorts specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 30,969 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 2 General and Operations Managers High +5.0% 4%
- 3 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 4 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 30,162 moves in
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 5%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
- 3 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Waiters and Waitresses Moderate +2.0% 3%
Combined from the 2010 occupations “Tour Guides and Escorts” and “Travel Guides”, which BLS merged into yours. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 4% less than high school
- 22% high school
- 8% postsecondary certificate
- 2% some college
- 31% associate's
- 30% bachelor's
- 2% post-bachelor's certificate
- 2% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 27 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 5% less than high school
- 22% high school
- 35% some college
- 6% associate's
- 22% bachelor's
- 10% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 919 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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