Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs swim lesson instructor

The differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards and swim lesson instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a lifeguard/head lifeguard has an average salary of $28,189, which is higher than the $25,697 average annual salary of a swim lesson instructor.

The top three skills for a lifeguard/head lifeguard include first-aid, customer service and water safety. The most important skills for a swim lesson instructor are cleanliness, emergency situations, and emergency oxygen.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs swim lesson instructor overview

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Swim Lesson Instructor
Yearly salary	$28,189	$25,697
Hourly rate	$13.55	$12.35
Growth rate	-	20%
Number of jobs	12,052	24,835
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs swim lesson instructor salary

Lifeguards/head lifeguards and swim lesson instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Swim Lesson Instructor
Average salary	$28,189	$25,697
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $18,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Washington	New York
Best paying company	Trustmark Insurance Co	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and swim lesson instructor education

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Swim Lesson Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common major	Business	Music
Most common college	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs swim lesson instructor demographics

Here are the differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards' and swim lesson instructors' demographics:

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Swim Lesson Instructor
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 33.7% Female, 66.3%
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, 6.0% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.4% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and swim lesson instructor 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.

Swim lesson instructor example responsibilities.

Manage, facilitate and coordinate competitive swimming events using HY-TEK system.
Provide direct leadership, instruction and motivation for students in swimming classes.
Acquire leadership skills while mentoring and encouraging new lifeguards with swim lesson skills and pool upkeep.
Monitor recreational swimming areas and facilities for safety and cleanliness.
Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation if necessary.
Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs swim lesson instructor skills

Common lifeguard/head lifeguard skills

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

Common swim lesson instructor skills

Cleanliness, 24%
Emergency Situations, 16%
Emergency Oxygen, 9%
Flotation, 8%
Lesson Program, 6%
Head Lifeguard, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard vs Swim Lesson Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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