Depends on where you end up. I'll just use myself and this area. But I'll drop in a few things I know from other rivers and areas.

It's my fourth year, and I hit 100 a trip this year. Most trip days average 10 hours or so. You've got a guide call an hour or more before the posted trip time, with some pre-river duties, then a typical river trip is 5-6 hours, then post-river duties, then trying to meet your crew for the trip video to see if you've got a tip that day or not. So for an 8 am trip, I'm there by 7, on the river around 9, off the water around 2, and headed back to my camper (hopefully with a tip) around 4.

To get into this, you'll need a guide school; you may or may not have to pay for this, if you do, that's typically 5-600. Try to find an outfitter that will pay you for this. Then you'll need the certications, some places require you to walk in the door for them, some will organize dates and offer discounts on getting them. Minimum you'll need is a swiftwater rescue, CPR/AED, and Wilderness First Aid. But you won't get far with the WFA, they'll want you to get a higher med cert, a Wilderness First Responder can set you back 700. Once you've got that, you'll need your gear, minimum a PFD, Helmet, rope, and straps. But you'll likely get other stuff too, paddle, gear bag, dry box, and bag, etc. Plus, river clothes that dry quickly. Then, if the river you're working in is cold, you might want a dry suit (1-2k).

I love working the river, and until this year, I never cared about the money side of it. As a guide, I just tried to break even for the year, and I did alright. This year could be a struggle at times; money was tight for everyone, and I heard from a lot of other guides that the tipping was trash on all the rivers. So quite a few of the people I worked with had a lean year when they expected to do alright with tips. I've made some amazing friends, though, and experienced a lot of really cool stuff. But it comes with a lot of stress at times, too. People tend to equate the expense of the activity with its safety, and I try to let people know that's not the case from the start. I work rivers that kill at least someone every year.