Backpacking Guide

Backpacking Guide Salary

$16K

$37.5K

$83K

$40,987

/year

$19.71

/hour

Backpacking Guide Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$40,987

Columbus

Ohio

$39,589

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    How much does a Backpacking Guide make?

    As of Jul 1, 2026, the average annual pay for a Backpacking Guide in the United States is $40,987 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.71 an hour. This is the equivalent of $788/week or $3,415/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $83,000 and as low as $16,000, the majority of Backpacking Guide salaries currently range between $28,500 (25th percentile) to $41,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $77,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Backpacking Guide varies greatly (by as much as 13000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Backpacking Guide in your area makes on average $39,589 per year, or $1,398 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $40,987. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Backpacking Guide salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Backpacking Guide jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Backpacking Guide on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Backpacking Guide Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Backpacking Guide job is above the national average. Topping the list is Berkeley, CA, , with Aspen, CO, and Boulder Creek, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Boulder Creek, CA, beats the national average by $8,468 (20.7%), and Berkeley, CA, furthers that trend with another $9,199 (22.4%) above the $40,987 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Backpacking Guide appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 4% between Berkeley, CA, and Buford, WY, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Backpacking Guide role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Berkeley, CA

    $50,186

    $24.13

    Aspen, CO

    $49,541

    $23.82

    Boulder Creek, CA

    $49,455

    $23.78

    Sitka, AK

    $49,376

    $23.74

    San Francisco, CA

    $48,289

    $23.22

    Palo Alto, CA

    $48,181

    $23.16

    Scottsdale, AZ

    $48,166

    $23.16

    Santa Clara, CA

    $48,136

    $23.14

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $48,104

    $23.13

    Buford, WY

    $48,083

    $23.12

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Backpacking Guide Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Backpacking Guide category.

    For example Locum Tenens Telemedicine Physician jobs pay as much as $198,498 (484.3%) more than the average Backpacking Guide salary of $40,987. If you're qualified, finding work as a Locum Tenens Telemedicine Physician may help you make more money than that of the average Backpacking Guide position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Locum Tenens Telemedicine Physician

    $239,485

    $115.14

    Orthopedic Pa

    $164,860

    $79.26

    Chief Nurse Practitioner

    $130,295

    $62.64

    Spangler Candy

    $44,153

    $21.23

    Pediatric Emergency Medicine

    $42,441

    $20.40

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Backpacking Guide salary across the United States as of June 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $40,987 per year or $19.71 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.