Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs ocean lifeguard

The differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards and ocean lifeguards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an ocean lifeguard has an average salary of $29,909, 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 an ocean lifeguard are public safety, EMT, and emergency situations.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs ocean lifeguard overview

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Ocean Lifeguard
Yearly salary	$28,189	$29,909
Hourly rate	$13.55	$14.38
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	12,052	3,316
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs ocean lifeguard salary

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Ocean Lifeguard
Average salary	$28,189	$29,909
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $23,000 And $37,000
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 ocean lifeguard education

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Ocean Lifeguard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 79%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs ocean lifeguard demographics

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Ocean Lifeguard
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 68.3% Female, 31.7%
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, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and ocean 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.

Ocean lifeguard example responsibilities.

Educate children in small groups about beach awareness, marine life, first aid and CPR.
Provide first aid treatment and CPR to patrons and maintain the beach while answering all patrons questions
Patrol or monitor recreational areas such as and swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.
Provide first responder medical emergency aid.
Receive extensive first responder and advance water-rescue training.
Coordinate and participate in patrol events and lifeguard competition.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs ocean 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 ocean lifeguard skills

Public Safety, 23%
EMT, 11%
Emergency Situations, 11%
Patrol, 10%
Responder, 7%
Emergency Response, 3%

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Protective Service Industry
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard vs Ocean Lifeguard

Updated January 8, 2025

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