Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and SecurityO*NET 33-9092.00United States

Monitor recreational areas, such as pools, beaches, or ski slopes, to provide assistance and protection to participants.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $33,540
Projected change: +9.4%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 166.36K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.
Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.
Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Maintain quality of pool water by testing chemical levels.
Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.
Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information.
Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information.
Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, or chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear.
Inspect recreational facilities for cleanliness.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $25,667
25th percentile: $28,808
50th percentile: $33,540
75th percentile: $37,637
90th percentile: $45,019

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $33,540 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+9.4%faster than average

2025166,359 jobs

2035 projected181,975 jobs

15,616 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 60.3%
Certificate: 17.3%
Associate degree: 16.1%
Some college: 5.1%
Bachelor's degree: 1.2%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Lifeguarding
First Aid
Swimming
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Swimming Pool Maintenance
Lifting Ability
Emergency Procedures
Automated External Defibrillator
Guarding
Safety Procedures
Safety Standards
Emergency Medicine
Basic First Aid
Distress Signals
Emergency Response
Oxygen Therapy
Furniture Cleaning
Working With Children
Facility Repair And Maintenance
Risk Management

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Management of Personnel Resources: Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
Negotiation: Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Lifeguards11,133 postings
02Lifeguards/Swim Instructors789 postings
03Aquatics Lifeguards716 postings
04Head Lifeguards677 postings
05Pool Attendants485 postings
06Certified Lifeguards348 postings
07Pool Lifeguards331 postings
08Lead Lifeguards313 postings
09Swim Instructors279 postings
10Recreation Assistants/Lifeguards268 postings
11Pool Monitors230 postings
12Pool Supervisors219 postings
13Aquatics Coordinators214 postings
14Lifeguard Instructors195 postings
15Recreation Aides/Lifeguards178 postings
16Lifeguards/Pool Managers171 postings
17Lifeguard Managers166 postings
18Lifeguard Supervisors155 postings
19Aquatics Instructors150 postings
20Water Safety Instructors146 postings

Top employers

01YMCA2,595 postings
02Colleyville Lifetime Fitness404 postings
03Life Time315 postings
04Goldfish Swim School221 postings
05Continental Pools212 postings
06Cedar Point168 postings
07The Salvation Army137 postings
08Edjoin.Org128 postings
09Busch Gardens125 postings
10Walt Disney112 postings
11Swim Club Management Group104 postings
12Six Flags Entertainment Corporation103 postings
13High Sierra Pools96 postings
14Ke Camps - Teton Pines96 postings
15Sun Communities90 postings
16Great Wolf Resorts86 postings
17Marriott International85 postings
18Candlewood Management Service80 postings
19Emler Swim School77 postings
20Sun Agency72 postings

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