Google's Local Guides program has millions of members who review restaurants, add photos and answer questions on Google Maps. The question people search most about it is the obvious one: do you get paid? No. Here's what you get instead, and how to be paid for the same knowledge.
What Local Guides actually get#
| Contribution | Reward |
|---|---|
| Reviews, photos, answers, edits | Points |
| Points | Levels 1 to 10 |
| Level 4 and up | A badge on your Maps profile |
| Now and then | Perks: extra Google One storage, early features, event invitations |
| Money | None. The program terms are explicit about it |
Local Guides is volunteering. It helps Google Maps, and for many people that's reward enough. But a Level 6 or 7 Local Guide has something with real market value: they know which places in their city are worth it.
How to get paid for knowing your city#
Travellers pay for exactly that. On Roavi, a Local Friend is a local who spends a few hours with a visitor, in person: the places worth the trip, a meal, a neighbourhood, a market, a game. They set their own hourly rate (worldwide, most charge $15 to $50 an hour), the traveller messages them first, they meet in public, and Roavi takes no commission.
It's company, not a tour: no script, no driving, no licence needed in most places. And it's not dating; anything else is banned.
Why Local Guides make good Local Friends#
- You already know the places, and which ones to skip.
- Your Maps profile is proof. A traveller choosing between two locals will pick the one with 400 reviews behind them.
- You already like doing this. Being paid for it just makes it worth the afternoon.
How much do local guides make? compares the real numbers by city, and paid friend jobs describes what the work is like week to week. Where it pays best: the USA, the UK, India, Japan, and anywhere tourists arrive without a plan.
How to start#
- Sign up free on Roavi as a Local Friend.
- Real photos and a short bio: what you'd show someone, and that you're a Level-whatever Local Guide, if you are.
- Set your hourly rate and your free times.
- Reply fast: travellers choose the first local who answers.
Know your city like a Local Guide? Get paid for it.
Become a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Do Google Local Guides get paid?
No. Local Guides earn points, levels and badges for contributions to Google Maps, plus occasional perks (storage, early features, event invitations). There is no payment, and Google says so in the program terms.What do Local Guides get?
Points for reviews, photos, answers and edits; levels from 1 to 10; a badge on their profile from Level 4; and now and then perks like extra Google One storage or event invites. Nothing in cash.How can I get paid for knowing my city?
As a Local Friend on Roavi: travellers pay a local by the hour to show them the city in person. You set your rate, you meet in public, Roavi takes no commission. It's company, not tours and not dating.Is being a Local Friend like being a tour guide?
No. A Local Friend keeps a visitor company: eating together, a neighbourhood, a market, an event. No scripted tours, no driving, so no guide licence is needed in most places.Can I do both?
Yes. Many Local Friends keep contributing to Google Maps. A strong Maps profile is good proof that you know your city, which helps travellers choose you.