How To Become A Water Safety Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a water safety instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a water safety instructor. For example, did you know that they make an average of $13.18 an hour? That's $27,408 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 19% and produce 57,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWater Safety InstructorUS Average

Salary

2.1

Avg. Salary $27,408

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.2

Growth rate 19%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.32%

Asian 4.32%

Black or African American 5.73%

Hispanic or Latino 13.59%

Unknown 7.74%

White 68.30%

Gender

female 60.99%

male 39.01%

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 water safety instructor

Explore water safety instructor education requirements

Most common water safety instructor degrees

Bachelor's

69.3 %

Associate

12.9 %

High School Diploma

9.0 %

Start to develop specific water safety instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Learn-To-Swim	13.15%
Aquatic Facility	10.62%
Head Lifeguard	10.59%
In-Service Training	7.12%
Safety Regulations	5.42%

Complete relevant water safety instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New water safety instructors 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 water safety instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real water safety instructor resumes.

Gain additional water safety instructor certifications

Water safety instructor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific water safety instructor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for water safety instructors include First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor and Lifeguard Certification.

More About Certifications

Research water safety instructor duties and responsibilities

Examine injure persons and administer first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary.
Work on-site to cover HUD and OSHA inspector protocol, EPA regulations, and OSHA policies, practice and procedures.
Substitute for yoga and water aerobics as needed

Prepare your water safety instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your water safety instructor 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 water safety instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable water safety instructor resume templates

Build a professional water safety instructor 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 water safety instructor resume.