Also called: IFMGA Mountain Guide, Expedition Leader
Leads clients up the world's great peaks, from Denali to Everest.
On an expedition, the guide manages weather windows, sets fixed ropes, watches clients for altitude sickness, and makes the hard call to turn back. Between big trips, they guide rock and ice climbs closer to home.
Highly variable; top certified guides and company owners earn six figures, while most guides earn far less.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 10 years after high school. Years of climbing plus American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) and IFMGA certifications, which take many years and big costs.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Self-taught. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Outdoor Leadership, Wilderness Medicine.
Growing about average. No official projection; adventure travel is growing.
Low risk for 10 years. Better weather apps help pick summit windows; fixing ropes, watching clients for altitude sickness and the turn-back call stay human.
Classes: PE/fitness, Earth Science, Health, Spanish or Nepali.
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.