What Does a Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Do?

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Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real lifeguard/head lifeguard resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

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.
Position lifeguard team members throughout the amusement park and oversee general lifeguard operations.
Ensure first-rate lifeguard performance during pool hours, providing maximum safety and customer satisfaction.
Work seasonally and given leadership accountability for supervising lifeguards and overseeing water activities and lessons at the club pool.
Provide first aid for patrons in a large facility filling out incident and accident reports when necessary.
Position require constant alertness for immediate action with precise decision making.
Examine injured individuals, administer first aid.

Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Job Description

On average, the lifeguard/head lifeguard annual salary is $28,189 per year, which translates to $13.55 an hour. Generally speaking, lifeguards/head lifeguards earn anywhere from $22,000 to $35,000 a year, which means that the top-earning lifeguards/head lifeguards make $13,000 more than the ones at the lower end of the spectrum.

As is the case with most jobs, it takes work to become a lifeguard/head lifeguard. Sometimes people change their minds about their career after working in the profession. That's why we looked into some other professions that might help you find your next opportunity. These professions include a ski patrol director, swim instructor, water safety instructor, and ski patrol.

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12 Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Resume Examples

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Jeremy Andrews Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Contact Information Indianapolis, IN (250) 555-7538 jandrews@example.com Skills Daily Activities CPR Plan Activities Child Care Community Resources Emergency Aquatic Facility Lifeguard Educational Activities Water Safety Employment History Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard 2011 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Maintained WSI (water safety instructor), CPR/AED, First Aid and Lifeguard certification. Documented routine and emergency events. Lifeguard Supervisor 2010 - 2011 Miami Beach Fort Lauderdale, FL Make sure the facility is clean, safe, and clear of debris before and during the work day. Provided excellent customer service and supervision for the safety of patrons. Maintained CPR, Lifeguard and Swim Instructor Certificates. Junior Counselor 2009 - 2010 Jewish Center For Community Fort Lauderdale, FL Assisted with activities and supervised 12 kindergarten boys along with 3 other counselors Worked with other CIT's to plan and run a summer carnival with family activities. Assisted staff and counselors with programs and events - Supported student one-on-one during activities, events and trips Enhanced the campers experience at ARC Camp by organizing daily activities, while taking responsibility for their health and well-being. Education Bachelor's Degree Nursing 2006 - 2009 Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL


Sarah Stevens Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Contact Info Indianapolis, IN (980) 555-8201 sstevens@example.com Skills Ice CreamDaily ActivitiesDaily SpecialsMenu ItemsPositive AttitudeFirst-AidEnsure Patron SafetyRecreational ActivitiesPOSKitchen Equipment Employment History Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard 2020 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Provided and administered pre-hospital on-the-scene emergency medical care including open water rescue of drowning victims. Water Safety Instructor experience: Instruct children from 1 to 12 years of age in the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Program. Implemented new processes and systems for improving customer service satisfaction. Monitor the activities and safety of guests in the aquatic facility. Life Guard 2019 - 2020 YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Fishers, IN Certified in CPR and rescue. Complete weekly training exercise, Participate in regular in-service training sessions. Fulfilled role of Head Lifeguard for YMCA summer camps. Assist in the swim lesson program that accommodates around 10 children per session. Ice Cream Server 2017 - 2019 Buffalo Wild Wings Indianapolis, IN Provide suggestions to preserve satisfaction Relay on congeal communication to deliver accurate productions. Sorted customer queries related to food preparation and ingredients. Provided excellent table service and fostered guest satisfaction beyond expectations in a fast paced food service setting. Education High School Diploma 2017 - 2017


Jean Kennedy Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Indianapolis, IN (970) 555-3661 jkennedy@example.com Experience Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard2018 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis•Indianapolis, IN Perform CPR or life saving measures to save people. Monitored overall safety of the facility and kept a clean work environment. Scheduled and managed team exercises to ensure patron safety. Pool Lifeguard2010 - 2018 The Walt Disney Company•Orlando, FL Facilitate lifeguard training by creating scenarios and lesson plans to ensure cast reediness in life threating emergencies. Deliver Excellent Guest Service to up to 10,000 guests per day. Bagger2009 - 2010 Publix•Orlando, FL Provided customer services to customers by bagging groceries and assisting customers with groceries to their car. Provided great customer service to guests throughout their visit at the supermarket. Handled groceries Assisted in customer service Served as food promoter for the bakery Worked in restocking Skills CPRWater SafetyCustomer VehiclesSafety ProtocolsEnsure Patron SafetyGrocery ItemsDaily ActivitiesFront EndCustomer ComplaintsSpecial Events Education High School Diploma 2009 - 2009

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Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 22% of Lifeguards/Head Lifeguards are proficient in First-Aid, Customer Service, and Water Safety.

We break down the percentage of Lifeguards/Head Lifeguards that have these skills listed on their resume here:

First-Aid, 22%
Maintained all first-aid and medical emergency equipment.
Customer Service, 14%
Recognized for consistently perfect customer service and strong leadership, resulting in advancement to Head Lifeguard position.
Water Safety, 10%
Cooperated with other instructors to ensure that water safety/swimming lessons were conducted according to appropriate guidelines.
Emergency Situations, 7%
Assisted in training and development of fellow staff in emergency and non-emergency situations.
Cleanliness, 6%
Supervised lifeguards and facility ensuring safety and cleanliness at the facility.
Aquatic Facility, 6%
Supervised and allocated responsibilities to guarantee safety and function of aquatic facility.

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"first-aid," "customer service," and "water safety" aren't the only skills we found lifeguards/head lifeguards list on their resumes. In fact, there's a whole list of lifeguard/head lifeguard responsibilities that we found, including:

See the full list of lifeguard/head lifeguard skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming a lifeguard/head lifeguard. We found that 73.2% of lifeguards/head lifeguards have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 3.7% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most lifeguards/head lifeguards have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every eight lifeguards/head lifeguards were not college graduates.

The lifeguards/head lifeguards who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied business and kinesiology, while a small population of lifeguards/head lifeguards studied psychology and biology.

When you're ready to become a lifeguard/head lifeguard, you might wonder which companies hire lifeguards/head lifeguards. According to our research through lifeguard/head lifeguard resumes, lifeguards/head lifeguards are mostly hired by The Walt Disney Company, Livunltd, and UW Health. Now is a good time to apply as The Walt Disney Company has 8 lifeguards/head lifeguards job openings, and there are 3 at Livunltd and 3 at UW Health.

If you're interested in companies where lifeguards/head lifeguards make the most money, you'll want to apply for positions at Trustmark Insurance Co, PSEA, and Hidden Valley Country Club. We found that at Trustmark Insurance Co, the average lifeguard/head lifeguard salary is $37,274. Whereas at PSEA, lifeguards/head lifeguards earn roughly $37,093. And at Hidden Valley Country Club, they make an average salary of $34,493.

View more details on lifeguard/head lifeguard salaries across the United States.

We also looked into companies who hire lifeguards/head lifeguards from the top 100 educational institutions in the U.S. The top three companies that hire the most from these institutions include Ymca, American Red Cross, and CampCo.

In general, lifeguards/head lifeguards fulfill roles in the telecommunication and government industries. While employment numbers are high in those industries, the lifeguard/head lifeguard annual salary is the highest in the education industry with $29,741 as the average salary. Meanwhile, the government and hospitality industries pay $27,759 and $27,458 respectively. This means that lifeguards/head lifeguards who are employed in the education industry make 10.2% more than lifeguards/head lifeguards who work in the non profits Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious lifeguard/head lifeguards are:

The Walt Disney Company8 Lifeguards/Head Lifeguards Jobs
State of Connecticut3 Lifeguards/Head Lifeguards Jobs
Livunltd3 Lifeguards/Head Lifeguards Jobs

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What Ski Patrol Directors Do

As the name entails, swim instructors teach both children and adults how to swim. They help people develop their swimming ability through proper swimming techniques. Their responsibilities include ensuring that all swimming equipment is in good condition, evaluating student performance and providing feedback, and preparing reports on attendance and accidents. They are also responsible for preventing injuries and accidents through monitoring. There are several requirements to become a successful swim instructor that may include previous experience as a swim instructor, certifications on CPR and first aid, and swimming abilities.

In this section, we compare the average lifeguard/head lifeguard annual salary with that of a ski patrol director. Typically, ski patrol directors earn a $25,179 higher salary than lifeguards/head lifeguards earn annually.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a lifeguard/head lifeguard responsibility requires skills such as "first-aid," "customer service," "water safety," and "emergency situations." Whereas a ski patrol director is skilled in "patrol," "emt," "cpr," and "aed." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

The education levels that ski patrol directors earn is a bit different than that of lifeguards/head lifeguards. In particular, ski patrol directors are 1.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a lifeguard/head lifeguard. Additionally, they're 4.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Swim Instructor?

The next role we're going to look at is the swim instructor profession. Typically, this position earns a lower pay. In fact, they earn a $2,374 lower salary than lifeguards/head lifeguards per year.

A similarity between the two careers of lifeguards/head lifeguards and swim instructors are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "customer service," "water safety," and "emergency situations. "

But both careers also use different skills, according to real lifeguard/head lifeguard resumes. While lifeguard/head lifeguard responsibilities can utilize skills like "first-aid," "aquatic facility," "in-service training," and "pool maintenance," some swim instructors use skills like "lifeguard," "kids," "work ethic," and "strong work ethic."

Swim instructors may earn a lower salary than lifeguards/head lifeguards, but swim instructors earn the most pay in the education industry with an average salary of $28,059. On the other side of things, lifeguards/head lifeguards receive higher paychecks in the education industry where they earn an average of $29,741.

On the topic of education, swim instructors earn similar levels of education than lifeguards/head lifeguards. In general, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.6% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Water Safety Instructor Compares

The third profession we take a look at is water safety instructor. On an average scale, these workers bring in lower salaries than lifeguards/head lifeguards. In fact, they make a $781 lower salary per year.

While looking through the resumes of several lifeguards/head lifeguards and water safety instructors we discovered that both professions have similar skills. These similarities include skills such as "customer service," "water safety," and "emergency situations," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from lifeguards/head lifeguards resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "first-aid," "cleanliness," "pool maintenance," and "lifeguard training." But a water safety instructor might have skills like "learn-to-swim," "head lifeguard," "private lessons," and "course objectives."

Additionally, water safety instructors earn a higher salary in the education industry compared to other industries. In this industry, they receive an average salary of $29,015. Additionally, lifeguards/head lifeguards earn an average salary of $29,741 in the education industry.

When it comes to education, water safety instructors tend to earn similar education levels than lifeguards/head lifeguards. In fact, they're 1.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Ski Patrol

Ski patrols tend to earn a higher pay than lifeguards/head lifeguards by about $4,585 per year.

While both lifeguards/head lifeguards and ski patrols complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like first-aid, emergency situations, and resuscitation, the two careers also vary in other skills.

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "customer service," "water safety," "cleanliness," and "aquatic facility" are skills that have shown up on lifeguards/head lifeguards resumes. Additionally, ski patrol uses skills like patrol, trail maintenance, cpr, and guest service on their resumes.

The average resume of ski patrols showed that they earn similar levels of education to lifeguards/head lifeguards. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 2.8% more. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.5%.

Updated October 2, 2020