What Does a Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Do?

The primary job of lifeguards and swimming instructors is to keep an eye and teach swimmers at both private and public beaches, pools, private resorts, public parks, and summer camps. They implement local laws and regulations of the facility and provide help to swimmers who are in need. One of their essential duties is to prevent fatal accidents and injuries. They are trained in the different techniques of first aid, water rescue, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They mostly teach children, though they teach people of all ages.

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Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Responsibilities

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

Design and implement a learn-to-swim program for ages 2-25.
Conduct learn-to-swim classes for various ages and swimming levels.
Plan daily activities, games, devotions, bible lessons, evening lessons, song times and meals.
Inspect recreational area for cleanliness; maintain quality of pool water levels by testing chemical levels
Maintain general appearance and cleanliness of assign area and perform general housekeeping of assign area; maintain water safety equipment.
Create and run up to date and relevant swimming drills that are both fun and beneficial for students.
Train early, intermediate, and advance swimmers in the arts of swimming, diving, and survival.
Assess students on various water skills such as swim strokes, diving, survival skills, and first aid.
Safeguard all persons from injury or drowning through alertness and firm, courteous enforcement of pool rules.
Instruct students to swim freestyle independently

Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Job Description

On average, the lifeguard/swim instructor annual salary is $27,743 per year, which translates to $13.34 an hour. Generally speaking, lifeguard/swim instructors earn anywhere from $21,000 to $35,000 a year, which means that the top-earning lifeguard/swim instructors make $12,000 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/swim instructor. 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 an aquatics specialist, ski patrol, beach patrol lieutenant, and swim coach.

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12 Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Resume Examples

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Linda Hicks Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Contact Information Tallahassee, FL (830) 555-7934 lhicks@example.com Skills Potential Hazards Safety Hazards Lifeguard Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation First-Aid Lesson Plans AGE Groups Infant Flotation Communication Employment History Lifeguard/Swim Instructor 2020 - Present First Care After Hours Tallahassee, FL Initiate emergency interventions to stabilize patients. Head lifeguard overseeing a staff of 20+. Tend to accident or emergency situations appropriately. Swimming Instructor/Life-Guarding 2013 - 2020 First Care After Hours Tallahassee, FL Provided a safe and fun, family friendly environment Worked alongside kids to advance their talents in swimming Customer service and care Provide ocean safety and emergency medical assistance to the public. Experienced years of first aid and customer service experience. Played different roles as a lifeguard, coach, and swim instructor. Protect the lives of the members, enforce pool safety policies, ensured proper chemical levels. Swimming Instructor/Life-Guarding (Part-Time) 2013 - 2013 First Care After Hours Tallahassee, FL Provided CPR and First-aid if needed. certified in CPR, first aid, AED, and water safety Head Lifeguard Teach swimming lessons group class and private from ages 3 to Adult Certified in first aid, CPR,and water rescue Complete and maintain records of weather and pool conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information. Education Some College Courses General Studies 2013 - 2013 Tallahassee Community College Tallahassee, FL


Madison Thompson Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Contact Info Indianapolis, IN (590) 555-6688 mthompson@example.com Skills Table SettingsLifeguardCustomer ServiceLearn-To-SwimKitchen EquipmentVoice LessonsCPRStorage AreasLesson PlansChemical Levels Employment History Lifeguard/Swim Instructor 2012 - Present YMCA of Greater Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN Provide first-aid for the pool and sport recreation facility.Southern Illinois University, Recreational Sports and Services Ensured that all lifeguards are recent on their training and certifications.Scheduled, coordinated and conducted in-service training. Swim Instructor and Lifeguard services. Protected the safety of community members and patrons as a lifeguard. Experienced years of first aid and customer service experience. Lifeguard/Head Lifeguard 2010 - 2012 YMCA of Greater Houston Houston, TX Managed five lifeguards on duty to ensure the safety of the facility while providing outstanding customer service. Maintained safety and water quality at local aquatic facility Taught private swim lessons to local members CPR and First Aid Certified Perform first aid, CPR and rescues in the event of swimming accidents or drownings. Busser 2009 - 2010 Darden Restaurants Houston, TX Provided excellent customer service to guests. Scrambled around cleaning tables, mopping, sweeping, and made sure all dishes made it to the dishwasher. Wash dishes for cooks and server use, time management Education High School Diploma 2009 - 2009


Richard Phillips Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Indianapolis, IN (250) 555-7325 rphillips@example.com Experience Lifeguard/Swim Instructor2012 - Present Life Fitness•Indianapolis, IN Provided emergency care Enforced all policies and procedures pertaining to the facility Provided a safe and fun, family friendly environment Worked alongside kids to advance their talents in swimming Customer service and care Provided excellent customer service to all resort guests. Presented professional appearance and attitude at all times, and maintained a high standard of customer service. Lifeguard/Swim Instructor2010 - 2012 Life Fitness•Indianapolis, IN Presented professional appearance and attitude at all times, and maintained a high standard of customer service. Provided a safe and fun, family friendly environment Worked alongside kids to advance their talents in swimming Customer service and care Assisted with Customer Service Representatives at the front desk by answering phones calls and greeting new customers. Provided emergency care Enforced all policies and procedures pertaining to the facility Pool Lifeguard2009 - 2010 YMCA of Greater Indianapolis•Indianapolis, IN certified in CPR, first aid, AED, and water safety Completed Lifeguard, CPR, First Aid and Swim Instructor Certification. Monitor and test chemical levels to two pools and two spa areas. Observed patrons and enforced the safety rules and regulations of the pool; administered first aid and C.P.R. Skills Pool AreaSafe EnvironmentLesson PlansCPRCustomer ServiceWater SafetyUnsafe AreasSafety RulesWSILifeguard Education High School Diploma 2009 - 2009

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Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 27% of Lifeguard/Swim Instructors are proficient in First-Aid, Lifeguard Training, and Customer Service.

We break down the percentage of Lifeguard/Swim Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:

First-Aid, 27%
Responded quickly to individuals in crisis situations involving first-aid care.
Lifeguard Training, 12%
Position taken to keep certifications current, responsibilities include guarding and teaching lifeguard training and water safety classes.
Customer Service, 10%
Enforced rules/safety regulations, Provided customer service, Planned swim lessons, Provided feedback to students/parents, Maintained a safe/clean facility.
Emergency Situations, 10%
Maintained constant surveillance of guests in the facility; qualified to act immediately and appropriately to secure safety in emergency situations.
Cleanliness, 8%
Maintained general appearance and cleanliness of assigned area and performed general housekeeping of assigned area; maintained water safety equipment.
Pool Deck, 3%
Observed patrons from the lifeguard tower and pool deck with the proper safety devices to ensure complete safety was being practiced.

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Most lifeguard/swim instructors list "first-aid," "lifeguard training," and "customer service" as skills on their resumes. We go into more details on the most important lifeguard/swim instructor responsibilities here:

See the full list of lifeguard/swim instructor skills.

Before becoming a lifeguard/swim instructor, 66.6% earned their bachelor's degree. When it comes down to graduating with a master's degree, 4.6% lifeguard/swim instructors went for the extra education. If you're wanting to pursue this career, it may be possible to be successful with a high school degree. In fact, most lifeguard/swim instructors have a college degree. But about one out of every seven lifeguard/swim instructors didn't attend college at all.

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

Once you're ready to become a lifeguard/swim instructor, you should explore the companies that typically hire lifeguard/swim instructors. According to lifeguard/swim instructor resumes that we searched through, lifeguard/swim instructors are hired the most by Goldfish Swim School, Ymca Of Greater St. Louis, and Tampa YMCA. Currently, Goldfish Swim School has 44 lifeguard/swim instructor job openings, while there are 9 at Ymca Of Greater St. Louis and 7 at Tampa YMCA.

Since salary is important to some lifeguard/swim instructors, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at The Phelps School, Pace University, and Freeport-McMoRan. If you were to take a closer look at The Phelps School, you'd find that the average lifeguard/swim instructor salary is $55,897. Then at Pace University, lifeguard/swim instructors receive an average salary of $46,079, while the salary at Freeport-McMoRan is $41,256.

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

Some other companies you might be interested in as a lifeguard/swim instructor include Ymca, American Red Cross, and CampCo. These three companies were found to hire the most lifeguard/swim instructors from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

In general, lifeguard/swim instructors fulfill roles in the education and non profits industries. While employment numbers are high in those industries, the lifeguard/swim instructor annual salary is the highest in the education industry with $29,576 as the average salary. Meanwhile, the government and hospitality industries pay $27,254 and $27,159 respectively. This means that lifeguard/swim instructors who are employed in the education industry make 7.2% more than lifeguard/swim instructors who work in the non profits Industry.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious lifeguard/swim instructors are:

Goldfish Swim School44 Lifeguard/Swim Instructors Jobs
Ymca Of Greater St. Louis9 Lifeguard/Swim Instructors Jobs
Tampa YMCA7 Lifeguard/Swim Instructors Jobs

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What Aquatics Specialists Do

The duties of an aquatics specialist depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. With their expertise in aquatic environments, an aquatics specialist may work at government agencies, laboratories, learning institutions, and private companies. Typically, their responsibilities include conducting studies and observations, gathering and analyzing data through scientific procedures, coordinating with fellow experts, managing aquatics programs and projects, and developing strategies to resolve issues and concerns. Furthermore, as an aquatics specialist, it is essential to lead the efforts of different projects, all while adhering to the organization's vision and mission.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take aquatics specialist for example. On average, the aquatics specialists annual salary is $9,257 higher than what lifeguard/swim instructors make on average every year.

While the salaries between these two careers can be different, they do share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both lifeguard/swim instructors and aquatics specialists positions are skilled in customer service, resuscitation, and swimming pools.

As far as similarities go, this is where it ends because a lifeguard/swim instructor responsibility requires skills such as "first-aid," "lifeguard training," "emergency situations," and "cleanliness." Whereas a aquatics specialist is skilled in "husbandry," "primary resource," "animal welfare," and "cpr." So if you're looking for what truly separates the two careers, you've found it.

On average, aquatics specialists reach similar levels of education than lifeguard/swim instructors. Aquatics specialists are 0.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Ski Patrol?

A swim coach is someone who teaches and trains people how to swim. A swim coach provides tips and techniques for people to follow if they want to learn how to swim. Demand for swimming teachers is growing, especially during summer where people travel to the beach and resorts to enjoy their vacations. A swim coach should know how to determine a student's skill, provide suitable teaching methods, and enhance the student's current swimming skill through specialized and customized swimming lessons.

Next up, we have the ski patrol profession to look over. This career brings along a higher average salary when compared to a lifeguard/swim instructor annual salary. In fact, ski patrols salary difference is $5,031 higher than the salary of lifeguard/swim instructors per year.

A similarity between the two careers of lifeguard/swim instructors and ski patrols are a few of the skills associated with both roles. We used resumes from both professions to find that both use skills like "first-aid," "emergency situations," and "resuscitation. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences that are worth noting. For example, lifeguard/swim instructor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "lifeguard training," "customer service," "cleanliness," and "pool deck." Meanwhile, a ski patrol might be skilled in areas such as "patrol," "trail maintenance," "cpr," and "guest service." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, ski patrols study at similar levels of education than lifeguard/swim instructors. They're 1.9% more likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.5% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Beach Patrol Lieutenant Compares

Let's now take a look at the beach patrol lieutenant profession. On average, these workers make higher salaries than lifeguard/swim instructors with a $4,256 difference per year.

By looking over several lifeguard/swim instructors and beach patrol lieutenants resumes, we found that both roles utilize similar skills, such as "emergency situations," "incident reports," and "water rescue." But beyond that the careers look very different.

As mentioned, these two careers differ between other skills that are required for performing the work exceedingly well. For example, gathering from lifeguard/swim instructors resumes, they are more likely to have skills like "first-aid," "lifeguard training," "customer service," and "cleanliness." But a beach patrol lieutenant might have skills like "patrol," "aed," "law enforcement," and "safety guidelines."

When it comes to education, beach patrol lieutenants tend to earn similar education levels than lifeguard/swim instructors. In fact, they're 0.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Swim Coach

The fourth career we look at typically earns higher pay than lifeguard/swim instructors. On average, swim coaches earn a difference of $6,180 higher per year.

According to resumes from both lifeguard/swim instructors and swim coaches, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "customer service," "safety rules," and "front desk. "

While some skills are shared by these professions, there are some differences to note. "first-aid," "lifeguard training," "emergency situations," and "cleanliness" are skills that have shown up on lifeguard/swim instructors resumes. Additionally, swim coach uses skills like cpr, lifeguard, kids, and training programs on their resumes.

Now, let's take a closer look at the financials in each career. The education industry tends to pay more for swim coaches with an average of $35,539. While the highest lifeguard/swim instructor annual salary comes from the education industry.

The average resume of swim coaches showed that they earn similar levels of education to lifeguard/swim instructors. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 2.3% more. Additionally, they're more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.4%.

Updated October 2, 2020