How to hire a beach lifeguard

How to hire a beach lifeguard, step by step

Here's a step-by-step beach lifeguard hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a beach lifeguard job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new beach lifeguard
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The beach lifeguard hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A beach lifeguard's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, beach lifeguards from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of beach lifeguards.

   Type of Beach Lifeguard	Description	Hourly rate
   Beach Lifeguard		$11-17
   Swim Instructor	As the name entails, swim instructors teach both children and adults how to swim. They help people develop their swimming ability through proper swimming techniques... Show more	$8-16
   Lifeguard/Swim Instructor	The primary job of lifeguards and swimming instructors is to keep an eye and teach swimmers at both private and public beaches, pools, private resorts, public parks, and summer camps. They implement local laws and regulations of the facility and provide help to swimmers who are in need... Show more	$10-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CPR
   • Emergency Situations
   • Patrol
   • Water Safety
   • Lifeguard Training
   • Public Safety
   • Water Rescue
   • Resuscitation
   • Responder
   • Life Support
   • Rescue Techniques
   • Open Water
   • Medical Care
   • Lifeguard Program

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Used ATV's for various beach duties.
   • Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
   • Examine injured individuals, administer first aid.

   More beach lifeguard duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your beach lifeguard job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A beach lifeguard salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, beach lifeguards' average salary in indiana is 44% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level beach lifeguards earn 36% less than senior-level beach lifeguards.
   • Certifications. A beach lifeguard with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a beach lifeguard's salary.

   Average beach lifeguard salary

   $13.97hourly

   $29,050 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level beach lifeguard salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average beach lifeguard salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$37,080	$18
   2	Massachusetts	$33,780	$16
   3	Arizona	$31,714	$15
   4	New York	$31,289	$15
   5	Florida	$29,613	$14
   6	Colorado	$29,546	$14
   7	Delaware	$28,391	$14
   8	Maryland	$28,147	$14
   9	New Jersey	$28,088	$14
   10	District of Columbia	$27,854	$13
   11	Illinois	$27,426	$13
   12	Pennsylvania	$26,921	$13
   13	Virginia	$26,773	$13
   14	Texas	$26,238	$13
   15	Ohio	$25,254	$12
   16	South Carolina	$25,180	$12
   17	Missouri	$25,152	$12
   18	North Carolina	$23,853	$11
   19	Kansas	$22,690	$11
   20	Georgia	$21,692	$10

   Average beach lifeguard salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Bay Head Yacht Club	$37,503	$18.03
   2	Gettysburg College	$34,754	$16.71
   3	State of Connecticut	$32,764	$15.75
   4	City of Dallas Employees	$32,620	$15.68
   5	Loudoun County Social Svc	$32,484	$15.62
   6	Messiah College	$32,302	$15.53
   7	Skidmore College	$32,051	$15.41
   8	HealthTrust	$31,889	$15.33
   9	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	$31,517	$15.15
   10	Great Wolf Resorts	$31,227	$15.01	7
   11	Cadence Education	$31,092	$14.95
   12	Dedham Health & Athletic Complex	$30,813	$14.81
   13	Buffalo Lodging Associates, Llc	$30,598	$14.71
   14	Duke University Health System	$30,312	$14.57
   15	Sparrow Health System	$30,116	$14.48
   16	Promus Hotel Corp.	$29,712	$14.28
   17	Hakkasan Group	$29,476	$14.17
   18	Approved Cash	$29,186	$14.03	2
   19	EXOS	$29,098	$13.99	5
   20	Anoka County	$28,803	$13.85

4. Writing a beach lifeguard job description

   A job description for a beach lifeguard role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a beach lifeguard job description:

   Beach lifeguard job description example

   Job DescriptionDedham Health & Athletic Complex has been proudly serving Boston and the South Shore for over 35 years, including Westwood, Newton, Needham, Brookline, Hyde Park, West Roxbury, Norwood, and Jamaica Plain. We strive to be recognized as the premier health and wellness facility in the Northeast and to attract and retain a diversified clientele with our various programs and services, such as medical wellness, adult recreation and fitness, family fun and fitness, and outdoor summer recreation. Our dedicated staff works to provide our customers with exceptional service and expert instruction in a safe, enjoyable, and motivational environment resulting in consistent use and extraordinary experiences.
   
   We are always looking for talented, self-motivated individuals to join our team. If you think you are ready to be a part of an exciting team, then we encourage you to continue with this applicant friendly, online job application!
   
   Dedham Health & Athletic Complex is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.We recognize and respect the amount of time you are about to invest by applying to this open position. If you complete this job application, you will be kept informed via email status updates (and text messages, if you opt in) throughout the evaluation process.
   
   By continuing with this job application, you will be asked to answer job-specific questions. Please note that the questions contained in this job posting are our sole intellectual property.
   
   Upon receipt of your responses, we will evaluate your submission. If selected for a personal interview, you will receive an email/text with scheduling instructions.
   Thank You,
   The Hiring Manager JOB DESCRIPTION
   WE WILL TRAIN THE RIGHT CANDIDATE! The Lifeguard ensures the safety of all pool participants and protects them from harm, maintains the safe and clean operation of indoor and outdoor pools and deck areas, and exhibits outstanding customer service and communication skills.
   
   The ideal candidate has a strong swimming ability. In addition, he or she must have the communication and interpersonal skills to courteously and firmly interact with pool patrons and foster a sense of trust and authority. RESPONSIBILITIES Enforces all rules Communicates regularly with Aquatics Director, Director of Operations, and General Manager about ongoing pool operations, member issues, etc. Prepares pool for opening and closing each season Prepares pool for opening and closing each season Maintains proper chemical balances in the pool Tests water quality in the pool and maintains appropriate records

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right beach lifeguard for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your beach lifeguard job on Zippia to find and recruit beach lifeguard candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting beach lifeguards requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new beach lifeguard

   Once you've found the beach lifeguard candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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