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Life guard vs swim instructor

The differences between life guards and swim instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a life guard has an average salary of $28,842, which is higher than the $25,815 average annual salary of a swim instructor.

The top three skills for a life guard include CPR, first-aid and emergency situations. The most important skills for a swim instructor are lifeguard, cleanliness, and customer service.

Life guard vs swim instructor overview

Life GuardSwim Instructor
Yearly salary$28,842$25,815
Hourly rate$13.87$12.41
Growth rate-19%
Number of jobs29,75224,849
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age2626
Years of experience--

Life guard vs swim instructor salary

Life guards and swim instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

Life GuardSwim Instructor
Average salary$28,842$25,815
Salary rangeBetween $23,000 And $35,000Between $18,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City-Boston, MA
Highest paying state-Maine
Best paying company-Massachusetts General Hospital
Best paying industry-Education

Differences between life guard and swim instructor education

There are a few differences between a life guard and a swim instructor in terms of educational background:

Life GuardSwim Instructor
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 50%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorBusinessPsychology
Most common college--

Life guard vs swim instructor demographics

Here are the differences between life guards' and swim instructors' demographics:

Life GuardSwim Instructor
Average age2626
Gender ratioMale, 63.1% Female, 36.9%Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between life guard and swim instructor duties and responsibilities

Life guard example responsibilities.

  • Examine any injuries patrons acquire using the facility and apply first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary.
  • Advance because of performance, knowledge and leadership.
  • Rescue any drowning victims out of water, call for emergency assistance and perform first-aid resuscitative measures when necessary.
  • Learned CPR and necessary skills to help in the advent of an emergency, observe pool to make sure everyone are safe
  • Participate in ongoing CPR and a education and maintain proficiency in preparation for emergencies.
  • Maintain general appearance and cleanliness of assign area and perform general housekeeping of assign area; maintain water safety equipment.
  • Show more

Swim instructor example responsibilities.

  • Manage all subjects of TOEFL.
  • Manage, facilitate and coordinate competitive swimming events using HY-TEK system.
  • Manage social media accounts while promoting camper interaction and sharing of the UCA brand experience.
  • Maintain continual first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification, while ensuring the members' requests are meet and exceed their expectations.
  • Care for and assist children with severe food allergies.
  • Certify in water aerobics, as well as CPR.
  • Show more

Life guard vs swim instructor skills

Common life guard skills
  • CPR, 30%
  • First-Aid, 22%
  • Emergency Situations, 8%
  • Pool Deck, 5%
  • Safety Hazards, 4%
  • Rescue Techniques, 4%
Common swim instructor skills
  • Lifeguard, 21%
  • Cleanliness, 20%
  • Customer Service, 15%
  • Kids, 12%
  • Emergency Situations, 4%
  • Work Ethic, 4%

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