Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs certified lifeguard

The differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards and certified lifeguards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified lifeguard has an average salary of $28,264, 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 certified lifeguard are first-aid, water safety, and in-service training.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs certified lifeguard overview

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Certified Lifeguard
Yearly salary	$28,189	$28,264
Hourly rate	$13.55	$13.59
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	12,052	36,332
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs certified lifeguard salary

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Certified Lifeguard
Average salary	$28,189	$28,264
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $22,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	-
Highest paying state	Washington	-
Best paying company	Trustmark Insurance Co	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and certified lifeguard education

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Certified Lifeguard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs certified lifeguard demographics

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Certified Lifeguard
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3%
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, 5.8% Unknown, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and certified 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.

Certified lifeguard example responsibilities.

Acquire skills in CPR, safety regulations, leadership and responsibility
Work as a beach patrol lifeguard for several summers (2007 and 2008) amounting to 6 months.
Perform rescues and administer first-aid in emergency situations.
Provide first responder first aid when necessary.
Implement basic first aid and first responder procedures.
Coordinate swim meets and ensure that they run smoothly.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs certified 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 certified lifeguard skills

First-Aid, 39%
Water Safety, 17%
In-Service Training, 7%
Rescue Techniques, 7%
Professional Attitude, 3%
Emergency Situations, 2%

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Protective Service Industry
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard vs Certified Lifeguard

Updated January 8, 2025

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