Tour and Travel Guides pay range in Salinas
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,630 a year or less, while the top 10% make $59,690 or more. The middle half of tour and travel guides in Salinas earn between $37,790 and $50,380.
- $35K10th
- $38K25th
- $46KMedian
- $50K75th
- $60K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $45,760 | $3,813 | $22.00 |
| Median | $46,130 | $3,844 | $22.18 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $37,790 | $3,149 | $18.17 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $50,380 | $4,198 | $24.22 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Tour and Travel Guides pay in Salinas vs. California and the U.S.
Tour and travel guides in Salinas earn 7% less than the California average ($49,180) and 5% more than the U.S. average ($43,720). At the median the gap is +21% against the U.S. median of $38,120.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salinas | $45,760 | $46,130 | $34,630 | $59,690 | 120 |
| California | $49,180 | $46,000 | $36,500 | $66,220 | 6,900 |
| United States | $43,720 | $38,120 | $28,520 | $60,930 | 53,500 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Tour and Travel Guides salary after taxes in Salinas
On the average salary of $45,760, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $37,982 a year, or $3,165 a month and $1,461 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Salinas a good place for tour and travel guides? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $45,760 buys what about $41,965 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 18.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Tour and Travel Guides salary in other California cities
Salinas ranks 13th of 16 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($60,710).
- San Jose$60,710
- San Francisco$54,340
- San Luis Obispo$51,430
- Santa Rosa$49,770
- Santa Maria$49,210
- Oxnard$48,320
- Sacramento$47,310
- Riverside$47,260
- Fresno$47,190
- Salinas$45,760
Highest-paying cities for tour and travel guides
Flagstaff, AZ pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($70,280).
- Flagstaff, AZ$70,280
- Kiryas Joel, NY$68,140
- Seattle, WA$61,460
- San Jose, CA$60,710
- Bremerton, WA$56,200
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Tour and Travel Guides salary in Salinas: questions
How much do tour and travel guides make an hour in Salinas?
$22.00 an hour on average, and $22.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level tour and travel guides salary in Salinas?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $34,630 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,790, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the tour and travel guides take-home pay in Salinas?
About $37,982 a year ($3,165 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $45,760. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do tour and travel guides earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?
The average here is 5% more than the U.S. average for this job ($43,720).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 39-7010; area Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.0%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.86, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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