Life guard demographics and statistics in the US
Life guard demographics research summary. Zippia estimates life guard demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our life guard estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about life guards after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 10,465 life guards currently employed in the United States.
- 36.9% of all life guards are women, while 63.1% are men.
- The average life guard age is 25 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of life guards is White (67.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.9%), Unknown (7.6%) and Black or African American (5.9%).
- In 2022, women earned 99% of what men earned.
- 7% of all life guards are LGBT.
- Life guards are 50% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to government companies.
On this page
Life guard demographics by:
Life guard gender statistics
36.9% of life guards are women and 63.1% of life guards are men.
- Male, 63.1%
- Female, 36.9%
Life guard gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 63.1% |
| Female | 36.9% |
Life guard gender pay gap
Women earn 99¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$28,705
Female income
$28,460
Life guard gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in life guard positions over time. Currently, 36.9% of life guards are female.
Life guard gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 52.20% | 47.80% |
| 2011 | 52.17% | 47.83% |
| 2012 | 47.49% | 52.51% |
| 2013 | 51.45% | 48.55% |
| 2014 | 52.97% | 47.03% |
| 2015 | 58.33% | 41.67% |
| 2016 | 59.44% | 40.56% |
| 2017 | 57.12% | 42.88% |
| 2018 | 58.26% | 41.74% |
| 2019 | 62.49% | 37.51% |
| 2020 | 65.51% | 34.49% |
| 2021 | 63.14% | 36.86% |
Life guard related jobs gender ratio
We compared life guards 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 title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Playground Monitor | 18% | 82% |
| School Crossing Guard | 21% | 79% |
| Crossing Guard | 23% | 77% |
| Life Guard | 63% | 37% |
| Bouncer | 94% | 6% |
| Bodyguard | 96% | 4% |
| Rescue Boat Operator | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Life guard demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among life guards is White, which makes up 67.9% of all life guards. Comparatively, 13.9% of life guards are Hispanic or Latino and 7.6% of life guards 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%
Life guard race
| Life guard race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 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% |
Life guard race and ethnicity over time
See how life guard racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Life guard race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.71% | 6.82% | 2.85% | 12.11% |
| 2011 | 74.59% | 7.55% | 2.65% | 12.31% |
| 2012 | 75.43% | 7.05% | 1.98% | 12.24% |
| 2013 | 73.64% | 7.20% | 2.65% | 12.88% |
| 2014 | 74.03% | 6.68% | 3.49% | 12.23% |
| 2015 | 74.07% | 6.30% | 3.14% | 13.13% |
| 2016 | 74.17% | 5.87% | 3.32% | 12.45% |
| 2017 | 72.35% | 6.32% | 3.58% | 14.01% |
| 2018 | 71.30% | 5.85% | 4.32% | 14.10% |
| 2019 | 72.10% | 5.85% | 3.55% | 13.77% |
| 2020 | 67.43% | 6.39% | 4.37% | 14.81% |
| 2021 | 67.90% | 5.86% | 4.36% | 13.91% |
Life guard wage gap by race
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $28,443 |
| White | $29,211 |
| Black or African American | $27,620 |
| Asian | $28,918 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $29,369 |
Average life guard age
See how the average age of life guards varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Life guard age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 21.5 | 20 |
| White | 21 | 20 |
| Asian | 25 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 21 | 20 |
Life guard age breakdown
The average age of life guards is 20-30 years years old, representing 36% of the life guard population.
Life guard age breakdown
| Life Guard Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 12% |
| 30-40 years | 14% |
| 20-30 years | 36% |
Life guard educational attainment
The most common degree for life guards is bachelor's degree, with 50% of life guards earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 29% and high school diploma degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 50%
- High School Diploma, 29%
- Associate, 15%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Life guards by degree level
| Life guard degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 50% |
| High School Diploma | 29% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Life guard jobs you might like
Life guard wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $28,043 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,756 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,535 |
Life guard employment statistics
Most life guards work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where life guards work
Below, you can see the size of companies where life guards work.
Life guard jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 9% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 22% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 23% |
| > 10,000 employees | 9% |
Life guard jobs by company type
Employees with the life guard job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most life guards prefer to work at private companies over government companies.
Life guard jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 10% |
| Public | 10% |
| Private | 50% |
| Government | 30% |
Life guard jobs by industry
The most common industries for life guards are government, hospitality and education.
Life guard industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 26% |
| Hospitality | 21% |
| Education | 9% |
| Non Profits | 7% |
| Media | 5% |
| Health Care | 5% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Fortune 500 | 3% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
| Technology | 1% |
Life guard turnover and employment statistics
Life guard unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for life guards between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Life guard unemployment rate by year
| Year | Life guard unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.01% |
| 2011 | 13.89% |
| 2012 | 12.79% |
| 2013 | 11.41% |
| 2014 | 11.93% |
| 2015 | 12.03% |
| 2016 | 10.37% |
| 2017 | 12.84% |
| 2018 | 9.60% |
| 2019 | 8.38% |
| 2020 | 15.70% |
| 2021 | 9.76% |
Average life guard tenure
The average life guard stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 4,883 life guards resumes in Zippia's database.
Life guard tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 40% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 14% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 2% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Life guard LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of life guards that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| School Patrol | 3.84% | 39,950 |
| Operational Security Specialist | 6.29% | 87,810 |
| Loss Prevention Leader | 7.17% | 34,066 |
| Life Guard | 7.20% | - |
| Certified Legal Investigator | 8.27% | 43,351 |
| Transportation Security Screener | 15.51% | 52,947 |
Similar life guard jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| School Patrol | 3.84% | 39,950 |
| Operational Security Specialist | 6.29% | 87,810 |
| Loss Prevention Leader | 7.17% | 34,066 |
| Certified Legal Investigator | 8.27% | 43,351 |
| Transportation Security Screener | 15.51% | 52,947 |
Foreign languages spoken by life guards
The most common foreign language among life guards is Spanish at 58.1%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 8.7% and German is the third-most popular at 4.1%.
- Spanish, 58.1%
- French, 8.7%
- German, 4.1%
- Arabic, 4.1%
- Portuguese, 3.5%
- Other, 21.5%
Life guard languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 58.1% |
| French | 8.7% |
| German | 4.1% |
| Arabic | 4.1% |
| Portuguese | 3.5% |
| Other | 21.5% |
