What is a Certified Lifeguard?
What Does a Certified Lifeguard Do
When it comes to the most important skills required to be a certified lifeguard, we found that a lot of resumes listed 39.2% of certified lifeguards included first-aid, while 17.0% of resumes included water safety, and 6.7% of resumes included in-service training. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
How To Become a Certified Lifeguard
If you're interested in becoming a certified lifeguard, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 64.4% of certified lifeguards have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 3.0% of certified lifeguards have master's degrees. Even though most certified lifeguards have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Certified Lifeguard Career Paths
As you move along in your career, you may start taking on more responsibilities or notice that you've taken on a leadership role. Using our career map, a certified lifeguard can determine their career goals through the career progression. For example, they could start out with a role such as hostess, progress to a title such as teacher and then eventually end up with the title general manager.
Average Salary for a Certified Lifeguard
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Certified Lifeguard
There are several types of certified lifeguard, including:
Swim Instructor
Role:
As a rule, they require certain skills such as CPR and first aid and American Safety Instructor and Basic Swim Instructor certifications. They should have sound knowledge of proper swimming techniques and water safety, effective communication skills, and be passionate and enthusiastic.
A high school diploma or GED is enough, plus being an experienced swimmer, for example a retired professional swimmer. On average, they earn $24,852 per year, which translates to $11.95 per hour. Though generally, they earn anywhere between $18,000 and $35,000 a year.
- Average Salary: $25,815
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Ocean Lifeguard
Role:
These professionals need to be ready to move at a moment's notice; therefore, they are in great physical shape. Ocean lifeguards also require concentration to watch all the shimmers in the area all the time.
The daily routine of a lifeguard is highly variable. They may experience days with no emergencies and others in which a significant number of individuals need to be rescued. It's a critical job that requires focus and concentration. While it can be challenging, it's also rewarding.
To become an ocean lifeguard, you'll need excellent swimming skills, CPR knowledge, and a practical approach to life. There are no educational requirements to become an ocean lifeguard.
- Average Salary: $29,909
- Degree: Bachelor's Degree
States With The Most Certified Lifeguard Jobs
Number Of Certified Lifeguard Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 2,409 | $35,818 |
| 2 | Texas | 1,443 | $23,367 |
| 3 | Ohio | 1,190 | $25,309 |
| 4 | New York | 1,154 | $33,950 |
| 5 | Illinois | 1,153 | $26,513 |
| 6 | Virginia | 1,021 | $23,638 |
| 7 | New Jersey | 673 | $27,670 |
| 8 | Missouri | 625 | $24,787 |
| 9 | Arizona | 563 | $29,922 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 440 | $22,845 |
| 11 | Kentucky | 435 | $28,015 |
| 12 | Oregon | 433 | $29,302 |
| 13 | Maryland | 428 | $27,327 |
| 14 | Louisiana | 358 | $24,181 |
| 15 | Alabama | 306 | $23,557 |
| 16 | Oklahoma | 296 | $22,124 |
| 17 | New Mexico | 249 | $26,791 |
| 18 | Mississippi | 224 | $24,842 |
| 19 | Utah | 203 | $26,292 |
| 20 | Arkansas | 195 | $25,645 |
| 21 | Nevada | 126 | $27,346 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 121 | $28,204 |
| 23 | South Dakota | 115 | $25,138 |
| 24 | Hawaii | 65 | $29,683 |
| 25 | Alaska | 56 | $28,998 |
| 26 | Vermont | 51 | $33,147 |
| 27 | Wyoming | 45 | $26,512 |
| 28 | Florida | 32 | $27,185 |
| 29 | Colorado | 15 | $29,162 |
| 30 | Minnesota | 14 | $28,203 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | 13 | $26,315 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | 11 | $26,432 |
| 33 | Indiana | 10 | $19,974 |
| 34 | Washington | 8 | $34,549 |
| 35 | Connecticut | 8 | $31,694 |
| 36 | Iowa | 7 | $20,274 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | 6 | $33,267 |
| 38 | Michigan | 6 | $27,483 |
| 39 | North Carolina | 6 | $23,427 |
| 40 | Montana | 5 | $25,494 |
| 41 | Kansas | 5 | $24,220 |
| 42 | Georgia | 4 | $21,296 |
| 43 | Tennessee | 3 | $23,263 |
| 44 | Delaware | 2 | $26,991 |
| 45 | Maine | 1 | $35,225 |
| 46 | Nebraska | 1 | $25,493 |
| 47 | Idaho | 0 | $33,403 |
| 48 | West Virginia | 0 | $28,797 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | 0 | $28,774 |
| 50 | North Dakota | 0 | $26,538 |
Choose From 10+ Customizable Certified Lifeguard Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Certified Lifeguard templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Certified Lifeguard resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Certified Lifeguard Demographics
Certified Lifeguard Gender Distribution
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among certified lifeguards, 50.3% of them are women, while 49.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among certified lifeguards is White, which makes up 68.1% of all certified lifeguards.
- The most common foreign language among certified lifeguards is Spanish at 57.0%.
Online Courses For Certified Lifeguard That You May Like
1. Setting the Stage for Success: An Eye on Safety Culture and Teamwork (Patient Safety II)
Safety culture is a facet of organizational culture that captures attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and values about safety. A culture of safety is essential in high reliability organizations and is a critical mechanism for the delivery of safe and high-quality care. It requires a strong commitment from leadership and staff. In this course, a safe culture is promoted through the use of identifying and reporting patient safety hazards, accountability and transparency, involvement with patients...
See More on Coursera2. ISO 22000. Food Safety Management System.
Learn about hazard identification and assessment, PRPs, Critical Control Points, and the requirements in ISO 22000:2018...
See More on Udemy3. Occupational Health & Safety Training
Workplace Health and Safety Course For Employees & Managers...
See More on UdemyHow Do Certified Lifeguard Rate Their Jobs?
Top Certified Lifeguard Employers
Most Common Employers For Certified Lifeguard
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Walt Disney Company | $30,950 | $14.88 | 6 |
| 2 | Great Wolf Resorts | $30,216 | $14.53 | 119 |
| 3 | WTS International | $30,067 | $14.46 | 14 |
| 4 | Adventure Landing | $30,044 | $14.44 | 8 |
| 5 | FHI 360 | $28,814 | $13.85 | 7 |
| 6 | Chautauqua Institution | $28,431 | $13.67 | 8 |
| 7 | American Pool | $27,953 | $13.44 | 61 |
| 8 | Winkler | $27,751 | $13.34 | 7 |
| 9 | Continental Pools | $27,565 | $13.25 | 15 |
| 10 | American Red Cross | $27,454 | $13.20 | 31 |