Tour Guide job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

7

O*NET task statements

O*NET occupation

Tour Guides and Escorts

O*NET-SOC 39-7011.00

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35 · broader occupation

Data Government data groups this job as Tour Guides and Escorts (O*NET-SOC 39-7011.00). O*NET 31.0 lists “Tour Guide” as a job title for this occupation only (evidence: O*NET's Sample of Reported Titles (titles job holders report) and O*NET job-incumbent data). O*NET figures on this page are for that occupation; BLS pay and projections are for the broader BLS occupation, labelled where shown. TryHired has no separate career page for this title yet.

1. Describe tour points of interest to group members, and respond to questions. importance 4.9 of 5
2. Escort individuals or groups on cruises, sightseeing tours, or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, or art galleries. importance 4.6 of 5
3. Monitor visitors' activities to ensure compliance with establishment or tour regulations and safety practices. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Conduct educational activities for school children. importance 4.2 of 5
5. Research various topics, including site history, environmental conditions, and clients' skills and abilities to plan appropriate expeditions, instruction, and commentary. importance 4.1 of 5
6. Provide directions and other pertinent information to visitors. importance 4.0 of 5
7. Select travel routes and sites to be visited based on knowledge of specific areas. importance 3.7 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Getting Information, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events and Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Provide for physical safety of groups, performing such activities as providing first aid or directing emergency evacuations.
• Assemble and check the required supplies and equipment prior to departure.
• 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.
• Drive motor vehicles to transport visitors to establishments and tour site locations.
• Train other guides and volunteers.

Knowledge areas: Customer and Personal Service, English Language, History and Archeology, Communications and Media and Education and Training.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe Photoshop, Facebook, Apple Safari, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for the broader occupation.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

The most common answer among tour guides surveyed by O*NET is an associate's degree (31%).

Job title: Tour Guide
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Tour Guide to escort individuals or groups on sightseeing tours or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, and art galleries.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Describe tour points of interest to group members, and respond to questions.
- Escort individuals or groups on cruises, sightseeing tours, or through places of interest, such as industrial establishments, public buildings, or art galleries.
- Monitor visitors' activities to ensure compliance with establishment or tour regulations and safety practices.
- Conduct educational activities for school children.
- Research various topics, including site history, environmental conditions, and clients' skills and abilities to plan appropriate expeditions, instruction, and commentary.
- Provide directions and other pertinent information to visitors.
- Select travel routes and sites to be visited based on knowledge of specific areas.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in speaking, social perceptiveness and active listening
- Working knowledge of Customer and Personal Service and English Language
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe Photoshop or Facebook]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

BLS projects employment in the broader occupation Tour and travel guides to grow 6.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

• Read a real tour guide posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Describe tour points of interest to group members, and respond to…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only tour guide work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (speaking and social perceptiveness): a real situation, what you did and what changed.