Prevailing Wage for Travel Guides
Prevailing wage for Travel Guides (SOC 39-7012) is set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys. Whether your offer letter says Tour Escort, Tour Manager, or Guide, the same floor applies. DOL publishes four experience levels, and the minimum wage varies significantly by city.
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Entry-level guides with limited independent responsibility, typically fewer than two years of experience, working under close supervision on established itineraries. Employers filing at Level 1 for tour coordinators or escorts expect direct oversight throughout daily operations.
Qualified guides with practical field experience who handle standard tour operations with moderate independence. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Travel Guides, covering roles like tour manager or naturalist guide with a defined territory or client type.
Experienced guides who independently manage complex or high-value tours, mentor junior staff, and exercise broad judgment on itinerary decisions. Roles that carry regional or specialty-program ownership typically align with this level.
Fully competent senior guides with recognized expertise, often leading specialized expeditions or managing regional operations. These professionals set standards, train others, and may hold a cruise counselor or program director title within a tour operation.
Prevailing Wage for Travel Guides by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Travel Guides and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your worksite city before accepting
Travel Guides often work across multiple destinations, but the LCA lists one primary worksite. The prevailing wage floor tied to that city can differ sharply between, say, a Seattle-based tour manager role and the same title filed in Gulfport, MS.
Watch for tips and commissions excluded from base pay
Many tour operator offers blend a low base with gratuity income or per-tour commissions. DOL prevailing wage compliance counts only guaranteed cash wages, so tip-dependent pay structures can quietly leave a sponsored offer short of the floor.
Verify which SOC code your employer is filing under
Tour coordinator and cruise counselor titles sometimes get filed under broader hospitality or recreation codes rather than SOC 39-7012. A misclassified LCA can mean the employer is measuring compliance against the wrong prevailing wage entirely.
Search employer sponsorship history on Migrate Mate
Tour operators and travel companies vary widely in visa sponsorship activity. Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored Travel Guides roles, so you can focus applications on companies with a real track record in this occupation.
Jobs for Travel Guides are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Travel GuidesPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 39-7012.00 alongside Travel Guides, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Cruise Counselor Prevailing Wage
Cruise Counselor Prevailing Wage
Cruise Counselor positions fall under SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Guide Prevailing Wage
Guide Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Guide for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Naturalist Guide Prevailing Wage
Naturalist Guide Prevailing Wage
Naturalist Guide is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Tour Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Tour Coordinator Prevailing Wage
Tour Coordinator positions fall under SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Tour Escort Prevailing Wage
Tour Escort Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Tour Escort for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Tour Manager Prevailing Wage
Tour Manager Prevailing Wage
Tour Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Tour Operations Specialist Prevailing Wage
Tour Operations Specialist Prevailing Wage
Tour Operations Specialist positions fall under SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Tour Operator Prevailing Wage
Tour Operator Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Tour Operator for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Travel Consultant Prevailing Wage
Travel Consultant Prevailing Wage
Travel Consultant is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Whitewater Rafting Guide Prevailing Wage
Whitewater Rafting Guide Prevailing Wage
Whitewater Rafting Guide positions fall under SOC 39-7012.00 (Travel Guides). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the DOL set the prevailing wage for Travel Guides?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For SOC 39-7012, the agency computes four wage levels from the regional wage distribution. OFLC publishes these figures and updates them periodically. Employers must certify on the LCA that the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level for the worksite area.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
DOL assigns levels based on experience, supervision, and job complexity. Level 1 covers entry positions under close supervision. Level 2 applies to qualified guides working with moderate independence, and is the most common filing level for this occupation. Level 3 reflects experienced professionals with broad autonomy. Level 4 covers senior or lead roles. Match your job duties and reporting structure to these criteria, not just your job title.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Travel Guides role differ so much by city?
DOL draws prevailing wages from regional OES surveys, so each metropolitan area produces its own wage distribution. A tour manager position in Seattle reflects local labor market rates, while the same title in a lower-cost market like Beaumont, TX reflects a different survey pool. The LCA must list the actual worksite, and OFLC applies that metro's wage data when certifying compliance, regardless of where the employer is headquartered.
What happens if a sponsored job offer falls below the prevailing wage floor?
An employer cannot file a valid LCA for a sponsored Travel Guides position if the offered wage is below the prevailing wage for that worksite and level. OFLC will not certify a deficient LCA, which blocks the entire H-1B or PERM process from moving forward. If an offer is borderline, the employer must either raise the salary or file at the correct lower level before submitting the application to USCIS.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific Travel Guides location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool to look up SOC 39-7012 for any metropolitan area. Enter the occupation code and select the worksite MSA to see all four level wages. For broader wage context, O*NET and the Bureau of Labor Statistics publish occupational wage data by region. Migrate Mate also lists Travel Guides openings filtered by location and employer sponsorship history, helping you compare offers against market benchmarks.
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