Tour and Travel Guides pay range in Madison
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,650 a year or less, while the top 10% make $37,710 or more. The middle half of tour and travel guides in Madison earn between $28,010 and $35,090.
- $24K10th
- $28K25th
- $31KMedian
- $35K75th
- $38K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $32,770 | $2,731 | $15.75 |
| Median | $31,170 | $2,598 | $14.99 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $28,010 | $2,334 | $13.47 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $35,090 | $2,924 | $16.87 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Tour and Travel Guides pay in Madison vs. Wisconsin and the U.S.
Tour and travel guides in Madison earn 10% less than the Wisconsin average ($36,440) and 25% less than the U.S. average ($43,720). At the median the gap is -18% against the U.S. median of $38,120.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | $32,770 | $31,170 | $23,650 | $37,710 | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $36,440 | $30,160 | $26,250 | $54,530 | 910 |
| 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 Madison
On the average salary of $32,770, a single filer in Madison takes home about $27,783 a year, or $2,315 a month and $1,069 every two weeks. Taxes take 15% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
Is Madison a good place for tour and travel guides? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Madison area are 3% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.3), so the average $32,770 buys what about $33,684 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.5 times the median wage of all jobs in Madison ($58,080). A typical home costs $452,769, or 13.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Tour and Travel Guides salary in other Wisconsin cities
Madison ranks 4th of 4 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Milwaukee pays the most ($37,290).
- Milwaukee$37,290
- Eau Claire$36,310
- Green Bay$33,170
- Madison$32,770
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 Madison: questions
How much do tour and travel guides make an hour in Madison?
$15.75 an hour on average, and $14.98 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level tour and travel guides salary in Madison?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $23,650 a year and the 25th percentile is $28,010, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the tour and travel guides take-home pay in Madison?
About $27,783 a year ($2,315 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $32,770.
Do tour and travel guides earn more in Madison than elsewhere?
The average here is 25% less 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 Madison, WI (31540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 7.6%.
- 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 (2026 rules).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.92, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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