Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs water safety instructor

The differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards and water safety 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 $27,408 average annual salary of a water safety instructor.

The top three skills for a lifeguard/head lifeguard include first-aid, customer service and water safety. The most important skills for a water safety instructor are learn-to-swim, aquatic facility, and head lifeguard.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs water safety instructor overview

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Water Safety Instructor
Yearly salary	$28,189	$27,408
Hourly rate	$13.55	$13.18
Growth rate	-	19%
Number of jobs	12,052	44,102
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs water safety instructor salary

Lifeguards/head lifeguards and water safety instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Water Safety Instructor
Average salary	$28,189	$27,408
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $35,000	Between $21,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Oakland, CA	Utica, NY
Highest paying state	Washington	Washington
Best paying company	Trustmark Insurance Co	Pace University
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and water safety instructor education

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

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Water Safety Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Psychology
Most common college	-	-

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs water safety instructor demographics

Here are the differences between lifeguards/head lifeguards' and water safety instructors' demographics:

	Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard	Water Safety Instructor
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 55.3% Female, 44.7%	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between lifeguard/head lifeguard and water safety 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.

Water safety instructor example responsibilities.

Examine injure persons and administer first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary.
Work on-site to cover HUD and OSHA inspector protocol, EPA regulations, and OSHA policies, practice and procedures.
Substitute for yoga and water aerobics as needed
Assist and maintain associated paperwork and documentation to ensure OSHA compliance.
Maintain general appearance and cleanliness of assign area and perform general housekeeping of assign area; maintain water safety equipment.

Lifeguard/head lifeguard vs water safety 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 water safety instructor skills

Learn-To-Swim, 13%
Aquatic Facility, 11%
Head Lifeguard, 11%
In-Service Training, 7%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

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Protective Service Industry
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard
Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard vs Water Safety Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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