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Ecotourism Guide, Fishing Guide, Guide, Hunting and Fishing Guide, Mountain Guide, Recreation Guide, Whitewater Rafting Guide
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
Outdoor sport and recreation guides may specialize in a variety of pursuits. They might be mountain guides or lead whitewater rafting, canoe tripping, stand-up paddle boarding, sea kayaking, hunting, fishing, or ecotourism trips. Some guides work in several areas.
Mountain guides organize and guide rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, and backcountry skiing expeditions. In general, they:
Mountain guides also may teach skiing, climbing, and mountaineering skills. They may specialize in skiing, rock climbing, alpine climbing, or hiking.
Whitewater rafting guides lead groups of people on rafting trips through scenic stretches of river and whitewater rapids. In general, they:
Once on the river, whitewater rafting guides must follow a specified route. They must provide instructions and commentary while navigating the raft through a safe but challenging path. They also must know how to read the water. That means they must:
They also must know how to handle emergency situations. For example, what if the raft gets caught sideways against a rock? What if a client falls in the river? What if something punctures the raft?
On trips lasting more than a few hours, guides set up camp, prepare meals, and entertain their groups.
Hunting and fishing guides plan, organize, and lead hunting and fishing trips. In general, they:
Ecotourism guides provide leadership and information about natural habitats, wildlife, and sustainable development. They may lead groups participating in light adventure outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, or horseback riding. For information about a closely related occupation, see the Interpretive Naturalist occupational profile.
Outdoor sport and recreation guides work outdoors, often in remote wilderness areas. The work generally is seasonal and can be strenuous. Guides may be away from home for long periods. Their work hours may be unpredictable. For example, they may work almost nonstop during good weather.
Most guides, particularly mountain guides, must be able to lift heavy items.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Interest in speaking to provide instruction for activities such as canoeing, rafting and mountain climbing; and to advise on emergency and safety measures and specific regulations concerning hunting, fishing and boating
Interest in co-ordinating information to plan itineraries for trips and expeditions; to arrange transportation; and to follow environmental guidelines and prevent violations
Interest in handling to assemble equipment and supplies such as camping gear, rafts, life jackets, fishing tackle and food; and in transporting individuals and groups to sites; may prepare meals for groups and set up camps
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Exercise in CAREERinsite.
A Quick Guide
You are born with abilities that help you process certain types of information and turn it into action. These abilities influence which skills you can learn more easily.
The abilities or aptitudes shown for this NOC group come from the General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB). The GATB measures 9 aptitudes. It groups them into 3 categories: mental, visual, and physical.
The abilities scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being stronger.
Outdoor sport and recreation guides need:
They should enjoy dealing with people, planning and arranging expeditions, and handling equipment and supplies.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 102 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Jul 12, 2023 and Jul 17, 2025.
Review these skills to learn:
| Work Site Environment: Outdoors | 98 |
|---|---|
| Construction Specialization: Organized | 97 |
| Construction Specialization: Reliability | 96 |
| Construction Specialization: Team player | 92 |
| Handling heavy loads | 91 |
| Construction Specialization: Effective interpersonal skills | 87 |
| Construction Specialization: Excellent oral communication | 87 |
| Work Site Environment: Hot | 84 |
| Construction Specialization: Initiative | 78 |
| Manual dexterity | 77 |
There are no minimum education requirements. In general, guides need:
Some guides may need to supply some of their own equipment. Guides who choose self-employment also need business skills.
Whitewater rafting guides may earn an outdoor recreation diploma, complete a training program offered by a commercial rafting operator, or learn on the job. All training must include safe rafting and emergency procedures. Training might include information about the history, wildlife, and plants of the area in which they will be working. Whitewater rafting employers look for potential guides who have:
Most employers prefer to hire people who are already trained in rafting. However, most will consider hiring people who have related experience and a good attitude.
Fishing guides require a valid Alberta fishing licence.
Hunting guides must work for an outfitter-guide to guide big game and bird game hunters from outside of Alberta. Those who work with horses must be knowledgeable about horses and able to read the water when crossing rivers.
To become a self-employed outfitter-guide, hunting guides must:
For more details about hunting guide and outfitter-guide requirements, see Certification Requirements.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Certain professional titles or duties within this occupation are protected by provincial legislation. Requirements vary if you use these titles or perform these duties.
The related legislation is shown below. If there are multiple related legislations, select a certification heading to learn about each one.
Hunting guides and outfitter-guides plan, organize, and lead hunting trips, and ensure members of the group follow hunting regulations.
Under Alberta’s Wildlife Act [pdf] and Wildlife Regulation [pdf], you must hold a guide (big game or bird game) designation or an outfitter-guide (big game or bird game) permit from the Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) to organize and lead hunting trips for pay or gain. Only outfitter-guide permit holders may hold game allocations or have contracts with non-resident clients for hunting in Alberta.
For information on what you need and other details, visit the certification profile Hunting Guide and Outfitter-Guide.
To work in certain national and Alberta provincial parks, mountain guides must be certified by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). Certification as a mountain guide requires successful completion of the requirements for both Alpine Guide and Ski Guide certificates. Certification as a hiking guide only requires completion of the Hiking Guide certificate. To attend the required courses, applicants should:
ACMG certifies several other guiding certifications in Canada. The term Mountain Guide refers to guides who guide all the following: rock climbing, mountaineering, ice climbing, and backcountry skiing. The ACMG also certifies Hiking Guides (guide hiking only), Ski Guides (backcountry skiing only), Climbing Guides (guide mountaineering, ice climbing, and rock climbing), and Rock Guides (rock climbing only).
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Most hunting, fishing, and mountain guides are self-employed or work for guiding companies or outfitters. Whitewater rafting guides are self-employed or work for companies that specialize in river rafting.
Many outdoor sport and recreation guides work from May to October, then find other employment in winter. With the popularity of helicopter and snowcat skiing, ski touring, waterfall ice climbing, and snowshoeing, mountain guides can work regularly all year round.
In large organizations, experienced outdoor sport and recreation guides may move into supervisory positions.
Because outdoor guiding is mostly a short-term occupation, guides often obtain further education to continue a career in the outdoors. For example, those with a degree may move to positions such as park wardens or planners.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Outdoor sport and recreational guides
2016 NOC: 6532
83.4% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the short-term demand forecasted for this occupation in Alberta over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2024-2026 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Earnings for outdoor sport and recreation guides vary. Their fees can range considerably, and they may only receive pay for the days they work. In addition, the earnings of self-employed guides depend on how well they attract and retain clients. Many guides work at other jobs to ensure a steady income.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $17.00 | $20.00 | $18.43 | $18.00 |
| Overall | $17.00 | $28.00 | $20.24 | $20.00 |
| Top | $17.00 | $28.00 | $23.67 | $25.00 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $19,154 |
|---|---|
| Information, Culture, Recreation | $18,749 |
Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) website: ahla.ca
Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) website: www.apos.ab.ca
Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) website: www.acmg.ca
Interpretation Canada website: interpretationcanada.ca
Interpretive Guides Association website: interpretiveguides.org
Outdoor Council of Canada website: outdoorcouncil.ca
Paddle Canada website: paddlecanada.com
Professional Mountain Bike Instructors Association (PMBIA) website: pmbia.org
Raven Rescue website: www.ravenrescue.com
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2025. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
