How To Become A Rescue Boat Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a rescue boat operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a rescue boat operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.25 an hour? That's $44,204 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 500 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreRescue Boat OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $44,204

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.33%

Asian 3.79%

Black or African American 4.18%

Hispanic or Latino 9.64%

Unknown 7.79%

White 74.26%

Gender

female 2.33%

male 97.67%

Age - 21

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 21

Stress level

8.2

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.7

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a rescue boat operator

Explore rescue boat operator education requirements

Most common rescue boat operator degrees

Bachelor's

63.6 %

Associate

18.2 %

High School Diploma

13.6 %

Start to develop specific rescue boat operator skills

Skills	Percentages
EMT	100.00%

Complete relevant rescue boat operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New rescue boat operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a rescue boat operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real rescue boat operator resumes.

Research rescue boat operator duties and 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.

Prepare your rescue boat operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your rescue boat operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a rescue boat operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable rescue boat operator resume templates

Build a professional rescue boat operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your rescue boat operator resume.