How to hire a lifeguard supervisor

How to hire a lifeguard supervisor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lifeguard supervisor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a lifeguard supervisor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lifeguard supervisor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the lifeguard supervisor you need to hire. Certain lifeguard supervisor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A lifeguard supervisor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lifeguard supervisors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of lifeguard supervisors.

   Type of Lifeguard Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Lifeguard Supervisor		$11-17
   Swim Instructor	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... Show more	$8-16
   Ocean Lifeguard	An Ocean Lifeguard maintains continuous surveillance of people in the area of a beach. They supervise swimmers to ensure that they are swimming in accordance with safety protocols.	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • First-Aid
   • Water Safety
   • Cleanliness
   • Facility Rules
   • Emergency Situations
   • In-Service Training
   • Rescue Techniques
   • Safety Standards
   • Swimming Pools
   • Safety Rules
   • Safety Regulations
   • Certifications
   • Training Sessions
   • Lifeguard Training

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Provide first aid for cardiopulmonary resuscitation victims.
   • Decrease patron complaints about facility cleanliness by designing job duty cards.
   • Communicate effectively with supervisor and other appropriate staff regarding safety, cleanliness, pool chemical, staffing and member concerns.
   • Safeguard all persons from injury or drowning through alertness and firm, courteous enforcement of pool rules.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lifeguard supervisor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lifeguard supervisor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, lifeguard supervisors' average salary in indiana is 43% less than in maine.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lifeguard supervisors earn 36% less than senior-level lifeguard supervisors.
   • Certifications. A lifeguard supervisor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lifeguard supervisor's salary.

   Average lifeguard supervisor salary

   $14.07hourly

   $29,261 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level lifeguard supervisor salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a lifeguard supervisor job description

   A good lifeguard supervisor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a lifeguard supervisor job description:

   Lifeguard supervisor job description example

   Starting Pay: $15/hr. A Great Wolf, Lifeguard is one of the most important positions in the lodge, as they are vital to ensuring the safety of our guests, their families, and anyone that visits our waterpark attractions. No matter the situation, Great Wolf lifeguards are trained to respond and ensure all guests enjoy a safe and fun environment.

   Essential Duties & Responsibilities

   • Supervises and provides surveillance of swimmers and guests during park hours, special events, and training sessions
   • Responds to emergency situations in assigned zone
   • Assists in communicating emergency situations outside of assigned zone
   • Administers and coordinates emergency first aid as necessary
   • Enforces the rules and regulations of the waterpark
   • Advises aquatics management of unsafe and unsanitary conditions
   • Provides superior customer service to all guests by assisting all in a polite and expedient manner
   • Performs daily routine chores and maintenance of waterpark to ensure neat and orderly appearance
   • Performing within Ellis Certification standards

   Required Qualifications & Skills

   • No experience required, training provided
   • Must be at least 16 years of age
   • Ability and willingness to achieve Certification in First Aid, CPR and Ellis & Associates Lifeguard Training
   • Must be flexible regarding scheduling as it is based on business demands to include some weekend and holiday availability
   • Successful completions of criminal background check and drug screen

   Desired Qualifications & Traits

   • Good oral communication skills
   • Prior First Aid, CPR, AED experience
   • Prior lifeguard training and/or experience

   Physical Requirements

   • Swim 50 yards in 4 ft. of water and retrieve a 10 lb brick from the bottom of pool
   • Sit or stand for extended periods of time
   • Capable of prolonged exposure to hot and humid environments
   • Ability to climb multiple flights of stairs
   • Minimum of 20/25 corrected or uncorrected vision and no permanent eye abnormalities

   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right lifeguard supervisor for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with lifeguard supervisors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit lifeguard supervisors who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your lifeguard supervisor job on Zippia to find and recruit lifeguard supervisor candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with lifeguard supervisor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new lifeguard supervisor

   Once you've found the lifeguard supervisor candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lifeguard supervisor. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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