Tour Operators — Average Employee Salary
The average employee in the tour operators industry earns $64,284 per year ($30.91/hour), according to Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW data.
What Do Tour Operators Workers Earn?
At $64,284/year (equivalent to $30.91/hour for a full-time worker), tour operators wages are near the national average of ~$65,000.
The typical tour operators business employs 7 people. These are mid-sized operations where payroll is a significant but manageable expense.
Wages as a Percentage of Revenue
For the average tour operators business generating $969K/year with 7 employees at $64,284 each, total payroll represents roughly 46.4% of revenue. Labor is a significant cost but leaves room for other expenses and profit.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you're starting or running a tour operatorsbusiness, here's what the wage data means for your bottom line:
- Per-employee cost: Budget approximately $83,569/year per employee (salary + ~30% for benefits, taxes, and insurance).
- Typical team size: 7 employees = ~$449,988/year in base payroll.
- Hourly equivalent: $30.91/hour base — factor this into pricing and project estimates.
- Revenue needed: With average revenue of $969K/business, you need strong utilization rates to maintain healthy margins after payroll.
See how these wages compare to total revenue and profit margins.
View full Tour Operators revenue benchmarks →Frequently Asked Questions
- How much do tour operators employees make?
- The average tour operators employee earns $64,284 per year, which is equivalent to $30.91/hour for a full-time worker (2,080 hours/year). This is below the national average of approximately $65,000.
- How many people work in the tour operators industry?
- The tour operators industry employs 22,841 workers across 3,339 establishments in the United States. The average business in this industry has approximately 7 employees.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW 2023).