Ocean lifeguard vs rescue boat operator

The differences between ocean lifeguards and rescue boat operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a rescue boat operator has an average salary of $44,204, which is higher than the $29,909 average annual salary of an ocean lifeguard.

The top three skills for an ocean lifeguard include public safety, EMT and emergency situations. The most important skills for a rescue boat operator are EMT, , and .

Ocean lifeguard vs rescue boat operator overview

	Ocean Lifeguard	Rescue Boat Operator
Yearly salary	$29,909	$44,204
Hourly rate	$14.38	$21.25
Growth rate	-	1%
Number of jobs	3,316	25,967
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Ocean lifeguard vs rescue boat operator salary

Ocean lifeguards and rescue boat operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Ocean Lifeguard	Rescue Boat Operator
Average salary	$29,909	$44,204
Salary range	Between $23,000 And $37,000	Between $22,000 And $85,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between ocean lifeguard and rescue boat operator education

There are a few differences between an ocean lifeguard and a rescue boat operator in terms of educational background:

	Ocean Lifeguard	Rescue Boat Operator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 79%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	-	-

Ocean lifeguard vs rescue boat operator demographics

Here are the differences between ocean lifeguards' and rescue boat operators' demographics:

	Ocean Lifeguard	Rescue Boat Operator
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 68.3% Female, 31.7%	Male, 97.7% Female, 2.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 8.0% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 3.8% White, 74.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between ocean lifeguard and rescue boat operator duties and responsibilities

Ocean lifeguard example responsibilities.

Educate children in small groups about beach awareness, marine life, first aid and CPR.
Provide first aid treatment and CPR to patrons and maintain the beach while answering all patrons questions
Patrol or monitor recreational areas such as and swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.
Provide first responder medical emergency aid.
Receive extensive first responder and advance water-rescue training.
Coordinate and participate in patrol events and lifeguard competition.

Rescue boat operator example responsibilities.

Obtain USAR technician level certifications and pump operator certifications.Skills UsedSupervisory skills, prehospital skills, FTO and preceptor skills.
Administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation to injure persons.

Ocean lifeguard vs rescue boat operator skills

Common ocean lifeguard skills

Public Safety, 23%
EMT, 11%
Emergency Situations, 11%
Patrol, 10%
Responder, 7%
Emergency Response, 3%

Common rescue boat operator skills

EMT, 100%

Ocean Lifeguard vs. similar jobs

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Protective Service Industry
Ocean Lifeguard
Ocean Lifeguard vs Rescue Boat Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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