Post job

Beach lifeguard demographics and statistics in the US

On this page
Beach lifeguard demographics by:

Beach lifeguard gender statistics

32.9% of beach lifeguards are women and 67.1% of beach lifeguards are men.
  • Male, 67.1%
  • Female, 32.9%

Beach lifeguard gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male67.1%
Female32.9%

Beach lifeguard gender pay gap

Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$28,916
female-income
Female income
$28,673

Beach lifeguard gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in beach lifeguard positions over time. Currently, 32.9% of beach lifeguards are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Beach lifeguard gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201056.55%43.45%
201156.52%43.48%
201251.88%48.12%
201355.81%44.19%
201457.31%42.69%
201562.52%37.48%
201663.60%36.40%
201761.35%38.65%
201862.45%37.55%
201966.50%33.50%
202069.36%30.64%
202167.12%32.88%

Beach lifeguard related jobs gender ratio

We compared beach lifeguards with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, rescue boat operator and bodyguard have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Playground Monitor18%82%
School Crossing Guard21%79%
Crossing Guard23%77%
Beach Lifeguard67%33%
Bouncer94%6%
Bodyguard96%4%
Rescue Boat Operator98%2%

Beach lifeguard demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among beach lifeguards is White, which makes up 67.9% of all beach lifeguards. Comparatively, 13.9% of beach lifeguards are Hispanic or Latino and 7.6% of beach lifeguards are Unknown.
  • White, 67.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
  • Unknown, 7.6%
  • Black or African American, 5.9%
  • Asian, 4.4%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%

Beach lifeguard race

Beach lifeguard racePercentages
White67.9%
Hispanic or Latino13.9%
Unknown7.6%
Black or African American5.9%
Asian4.4%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%

Beach lifeguard race and ethnicity over time

See how beach lifeguard racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Beach lifeguard race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201075.73%6.81%2.85%12.09%
201174.61%7.54%2.65%12.30%
201275.45%7.05%1.98%12.23%
201373.66%7.19%2.65%12.87%
201474.05%6.67%3.49%12.22%
201574.09%6.30%3.14%13.12%
201674.19%5.86%3.32%12.44%
201772.37%6.32%3.58%14.00%
201871.32%5.84%4.32%14.08%
201972.12%5.84%3.55%13.75%
202067.45%6.39%4.37%14.80%
202167.92%5.86%4.36%13.90%

Beach lifeguard wage gap by race

According to our data, hispanic or latino beach lifeguards have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american beach lifeguards have the lowest average salary at $27,842.
$30,000
$29,000
$28,000
$27,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$28,656
White$29,415
Black or African American$27,842
Asian$29,126
Hispanic or Latino$29,572

Average beach lifeguard age

See how the average age of beach lifeguards varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Beach lifeguard age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Unknown21.520
White2120
Asian25
Hispanic or Latino2120

Beach lifeguard age breakdown

The average age of beach lifeguards is 20-30 years years old, representing 36% of the beach lifeguard population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Beach lifeguard age breakdown

Beach Lifeguard YearsPercentages
40+ years12%
30-40 years14%
20-30 years36%

Beach lifeguard educational attainment

The most common degree for beach lifeguards is bachelor's degree, with 73% of beach lifeguards earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 10% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 73%
  • Associate, 10%
  • High School Diploma, 9%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

Beach lifeguards by degree level

Beach lifeguard degreePercentages
Bachelor's73%
Associate10%
High School Diploma9%
Master's5%
Other Degrees3%

Beach lifeguard jobs you might like

Beach lifeguard wage gap by degree level

According to the data, beach lifeguards with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $29,954 annually. With a Associate degree, beach lifeguards earn a median annual income of $28,747 compared to $28,260 for beach lifeguards with an High School Diploma degree.
$31,000
$30,000
$29,000
$28,000
High School Diploma or Less
Bachelor's Degree
Some College/ Associate Degree
EducationSalary
High School Diploma or Less$28,260
Bachelor's Degree$29,954
Some College/ Associate Degree$28,747

Beach lifeguard employment statistics

Most beach lifeguards work for a government in the government industry.

Company size where beach lifeguards work

Below, you can see the size of companies where beach lifeguards work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Beach lifeguard jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees11%
50 - 100 employees23%
100 - 500 employees32%
500 - 1,000 employees5%
1,000 - 10,000 employees24%
> 10,000 employees6%

Beach lifeguard jobs by company type

Employees with the beach lifeguard job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most beach lifeguards prefer to work at government companies over private companies.

Education

Public

Private

Government

Beach lifeguard jobs by sector

Company typePercentages
Education10%
Public8%
Private33%
Government50%

Beach lifeguard jobs by industry

The most common industries for beach lifeguards are government, hospitality and education.

Government

Hospitality

Education

Non Profits

Media

Beach lifeguard turnover and employment statistics

Beach lifeguard unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for beach lifeguards between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Beach lifeguard unemployment rate by year

YearBeach lifeguard unemployment rate
201015.01%
201113.89%
201212.79%
201311.41%
201411.93%
201512.03%
201610.37%
201712.84%
20189.60%
20198.38%
202015.70%
20219.76%

Average beach lifeguard tenure

The average beach lifeguard stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 587 beach lifeguards resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Beach lifeguard tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year31%
1-2 years23%
3-4 years18%
5-7 years14%
8-10 years4%
11+ years9%

Beach lifeguard LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of beach lifeguards that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Subway Guard3.84%16,038
Non-Commissioned Officer6.29%69,414
Loss Prevention Representative7.17%3,776
Beach Lifeguard7.20%-
Asset Protection Detective8.27%82,030
Security Screener15.51%45,041

Similar beach lifeguard jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Subway Guard3.84%16,038
Non-Commissioned Officer6.29%69,414
Loss Prevention Representative7.17%3,776
Asset Protection Detective8.27%82,030
Security Screener15.51%45,041

Foreign languages spoken by beach lifeguards

The most common foreign language among beach lifeguards is Spanish at 59.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.8% and German is the third-most popular at 7.7%.
  • Spanish, 59.0%
  • French, 12.8%
  • German, 7.7%
  • Russian, 7.7%
  • Italian, 5.1%
  • Other, 7.7%

Beach lifeguard languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish59.0%
French12.8%
German7.7%
Russian7.7%
Italian5.1%
Other7.7%

Beach lifeguard jobs

Beach lifeguard location demographics

Where do beach lifeguards earn the most?

Beach lifeguards earn the most in California, where the average beach lifeguard salary is $36,484. The map here shows where beach lifeguards earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

Beach lifeguard demographics FAQs

Search for beach lifeguard jobs

Browse protective service jobs