Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs beach lifeguard

The differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards and beach lifeguards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a beach lifeguard has an average salary of $29,050, which is higher than the $28,189 average annual salary of a lifeguard/head lifeguard.

The top three skills for a lifeguard/head lifeguard include first-aid, customer service and water safety. The most important skills for a beach lifeguard are CPR, emergency situations, and patrol.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs beach lifeguard overview

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Beach Lifeguard
Yearly salary	$28,189	$29,050
Hourly rate	$13.55	$13.97
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	12,052	3,304
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs beach lifeguard salary

Lifeguards/head lifeguards and beach lifeguards have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Beach Lifeguard
Average salary	$28,189	$29,050
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Manteca, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Trustmark Insurance Co	Bay Head Yacht Club
Best paying industry	Education	Hospitality

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and beach lifeguard education

There are a few differences between a lifeguard/head lifeguard and a beach lifeguard in terms of educational background:

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Beach Lifeguard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs beach lifeguard demographics

Here are the differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards' and beach lifeguards' demographics:

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Beach Lifeguard
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9%
Race ratio	Black 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, 5.9% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and beach lifeguard duties and responsibilities

Lifeguard/head lifeguard example responsibilities.

Manage and trained15 lifeguards, which develop leadership skills, provide experience handling administrative issues.
Supervise pool maintenance, CPR, AED-PR, first-aid, record keeping, and customer service
Examine injured persons/administered first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation when necessary.
Obtain and maintain required certifications.
Maintain all first-aid and medical emergency equipment.

Beach lifeguard example 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.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs beach lifeguard skills

Common lifeguard/head lifeguard skills

First-Aid, 22%
Customer Service, 14%
Water Safety, 10%
Emergency Situations, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Aquatic Facility, 6%

Common beach lifeguard skills

CPR, 34%
Emergency Situations, 9%
Patrol, 8%
Water Safety, 6%
Lifeguard Training, 6%
Public Safety, 4%

Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard vs. similar jobs

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Protective Service Industry
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard vs Beach Lifeguard

Updated January 8, 2025

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