Swim instructor vs certified lifeguard

The differences between swim instructors and certified lifeguards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a certified lifeguard has an average salary of $28,264, which is higher than the $25,815 average annual salary of a swim instructor.

The top three skills for a swim instructor include lifeguard, cleanliness and customer service. The most important skills for a certified lifeguard are first-aid, water safety, and in-service training.

Swim instructor vs certified lifeguard overview

	Swim Instructor	Certified Lifeguard
Yearly salary	$25,815	$28,264
Hourly rate	$12.41	$13.59
Growth rate	19%	-
Number of jobs	24,849	36,332
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Swim instructor vs certified lifeguard salary

Swim instructors and certified lifeguards have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Swim Instructor	Certified Lifeguard
Average salary	$25,815	$28,264
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $35,000	Between $22,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	-
Highest paying state	Maine	-
Best paying company	Massachusetts General Hospital	-
Best paying industry	Education	-

Differences between swim instructor and certified lifeguard education

There are a few differences between a swim instructor and a certified lifeguard in terms of educational background:

	Swim Instructor	Certified Lifeguard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Swim instructor vs certified lifeguard demographics

Here are the differences between swim instructors' and certified lifeguards' demographics:

	Swim Instructor	Certified Lifeguard
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 49.7% Female, 50.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.5% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.8% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between swim instructor and certified lifeguard duties and responsibilities

Swim instructor example responsibilities.

Manage all subjects of TOEFL.
Manage, facilitate and coordinate competitive swimming events using HY-TEK system.
Manage social media accounts while promoting camper interaction and sharing of the UCA brand experience.
Maintain continual first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification, while ensuring the members' requests are meet and exceed their expectations.
Care for and assist children with severe food allergies.
Certify in water aerobics, as well as CPR.

Certified lifeguard example responsibilities.

Acquire skills in CPR, safety regulations, leadership and responsibility
Work as a beach patrol lifeguard for several summers (2007 and 2008) amounting to 6 months.
Perform rescues and administer first-aid in emergency situations.
Provide first responder first aid when necessary.
Implement basic first aid and first responder procedures.
Coordinate swim meets and ensure that they run smoothly.

Swim instructor vs certified lifeguard skills

Common swim instructor skills

Lifeguard, 21%
Cleanliness, 20%
Customer Service, 15%
Kids, 12%
Emergency Situations, 4%
Work Ethic, 4%

Common certified lifeguard skills

First-Aid, 39%
Water Safety, 17%
In-Service Training, 7%
Rescue Techniques, 7%
Professional Attitude, 3%
Emergency Situations, 2%

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Swim Instructor
Swim Instructor vs Certified Lifeguard

Updated January 8, 2025

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