Swim instructor vs pool lifeguard

The differences between swim instructors and pool lifeguards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pool lifeguard has an average salary of $28,274, 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 pool lifeguard are CPR, first-aid, and water safety.

Swim instructor vs pool lifeguard overview

	Swim Instructor	Pool Lifeguard
Yearly salary	$25,815	$28,274
Hourly rate	$12.41	$13.59
Growth rate	19%	-
Number of jobs	24,849	4,609
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Swim instructor vs pool lifeguard salary

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

	Swim Instructor	Pool Lifeguard
Average salary	$25,815	$28,274
Salary range	Between $18,000 And $35,000	Between $22,000 And $35,000
Highest paying City	Boston, MA	Union City, CA
Highest paying state	Maine	California
Best paying company	Massachusetts General Hospital	Mt. Hood Community College
Best paying industry	Education	Education

Differences between swim instructor and pool lifeguard education

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

	Swim Instructor	Pool Lifeguard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Swim instructor vs pool lifeguard demographics

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

	Swim Instructor	Pool Lifeguard
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
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, 5.7% Unknown, 7.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between swim instructor and pool 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.

Pool lifeguard example responsibilities.

Manage and trained15 lifeguards, which develop leadership skills, provide experience handling administrative issues.
Order parts from various vendors, work with HVAC service company.
Learned life saving skills with certifications in both first aid and CPR.
Maintain optimal pool and facility cleanliness.
Provide exemplary cleanliness and monitor safe chemical levels.
Examine injured persons, administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation or contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.

Swim instructor vs pool lifeguard skills

Common swim instructor skills

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

Common pool lifeguard skills

CPR, 25%
First-Aid, 21%
Water Safety, 7%
Cleanliness, 6%
Emergency Situations, 4%
Pool Deck, 4%