Also called: Alpine Guide, Climbing Guide
Leads clients up mountains and climbing routes safely, teaching skills along the way.
A guide might lead a group up Mount Rainier, making decisions about weather and avalanche risk. Top guides lead expeditions to the Himalayas. Certifications take years and require huge skill.
Estimate; seasonal; expedition guides earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 4 years after high school. AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) or IFMGA certification; wilderness first responder training.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Outdoor Leadership, Outdoor Recreation.
Growing about average. Steady niche demand.
Low risk for 10 years. Weather apps help, but life-or-death judgment on a mountain stays human.
Classes: Physical education, Earth science, Health.
Official data: O*NET occupation 39-7012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.