"How to become a tour guide in chicago" is searched alongside "how to become a tour guide in nyc" and "how to get a tour guide license", and the first thing to know is that Chicago is the opposite of New York: there is no license. Here is what there is instead, where the jobs are, and the way to get paid for your time with visitors that does not involve a tour.
No license, unlike New York#
Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois have no tour-guide license and no exam; the Institute for Justice has noted that, unlike other cities, Chicago never required permission to tell its history. The Chicago Tour-Guide Professionals Association offers a voluntary certification (a three-part test) that the architecture foundation and some operators respect. Working for yourself means registering as a business with the state and paying Chicago's business taxes where they apply; driving passengers for hire is regulated separately. (How to become a tour guide in NYC if you want the comparison.)
Where the jobs are#
- The Chicago Architecture Center: the river cruise and walking-tour docents; the most prestigious guiding in the city, with its own long volunteer training.
- Boat tours: the river and the lake, several companies, seasonal (April to November); narration plus hospitality.
- Hop-on hop-off buses and trolleys: downtown, seasonal, hourly plus tips.
- Walking tours: food tours, gangster tours, neighbourhood tours, free-tour operators where tips are the income.
- Museums: the Art Institute, the Field, the Museum of Science and Industry; docents and educators.
- Private guiding: your own clients, with the architecture as the draw; the hard part is finding them, and the season is April to October.
What it pays, and when#
Hourly above Chicago's $17.05 minimum plus tips for boat and bus guides; per tour for walking and private guides; the rhythm is a summer feast and a winter with almost nothing, which is why most Chicago guides have another job. How much do tour guides make has the honest ranges.
Getting paid for your time without a tour#
Most people who search this do not want to narrate a bus. They want to be paid to spend time with visitors: a food neighbourhood, a game, a newcomer's first weekend. That is company, not a tour, and it is what a Local Friend on Roavi does: you set an hourly rate (most list $15 to $50), people message you free, you meet in public, Roavi takes no commission. Roavi lists no Local Friends in Chicago yet, which is the honest number and the reason the first people to list here will get every message; messaging is free for the people who write to you. Getting paid for your time in Chicago has the local detail.
Live in Chicago? Get paid for your time with visitors and newcomers, at your rate, no commission.
Become a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a tour guide in Chicago?
Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois have **no tour-guide license and no exam**; the Institute for Justice has noted that, unlike other cities, Chicago never required permission to tell its history. The **Chicago Tour-Guide Professionals Association** offers a voluntary certification (a three-part test) that the architecture foundation and some operators respect.How do tour guides get hired in Chicago?
Through the operators: The Chicago Architecture Center: the river cruise and walking-tour docents; the most prestigious guiding in the city, with its own long volunteer training. Boat tours: the river and the lake, several companies, seasonal (April to November); narration plus hospitality. Hop-on hop-off buses and trolleys: downtown, seasonal, hourly plus tips.How much do tour guides make in Chicago?
Hourly above **Chicago's $17.05 minimum** plus tips for boat and bus guides; per tour for walking and private guides; the rhythm is a summer feast and a winter with almost nothing, which is why most Chicago guides have another job.