Water safety instructor vs beach lifeguard

The differences between water safety instructors and beach lifeguards can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a beach lifeguard has an average salary of $29,050, which is higher than the $27,408 average annual salary of a water safety instructor.

The top three skills for a water safety instructor include learn-to-swim, aquatic facility and head lifeguard. The most important skills for a beach lifeguard are CPR, emergency situations, and patrol.

Water safety instructor vs beach lifeguard overview

	Water Safety Instructor	Beach Lifeguard
Yearly salary	$27,408	$29,050
Hourly rate	$13.18	$13.97
Growth rate	19%	-
Number of jobs	44,102	3,304
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	26	26
Years of experience	-	-

Water safety instructor vs beach lifeguard salary

Water safety instructors and beach lifeguards have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Water Safety Instructor	Beach Lifeguard
Average salary	$27,408	$29,050
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $35,000	Between $23,000 And $36,000
Highest paying City	Utica, NY	Manteca, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Pace University	Bay Head Yacht Club
Best paying industry	Education	Hospitality

Differences between water safety instructor and beach lifeguard education

There are a few differences between a water safety instructor and a beach lifeguard in terms of educational background:

	Water Safety Instructor	Beach Lifeguard
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Psychology	Business
Most common college	-	-

Water safety instructor vs beach lifeguard demographics

Here are the differences between water safety instructors' and beach lifeguards' demographics:

	Water Safety Instructor	Beach Lifeguard
Average age	26	26
Gender ratio	Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0%	Male, 67.1% Female, 32.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 7.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.6% Asian, 4.3% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 7.6% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 4.4% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between water safety instructor and beach lifeguard duties and responsibilities

Water safety instructor example 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
Assist and maintain associated paperwork and documentation to ensure OSHA compliance.
Maintain general appearance and cleanliness of assign area and perform general housekeeping of assign area; maintain water safety equipment.

Beach lifeguard example responsibilities.

Used ATV's for various beach duties.
Examine injure persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
Examine injured individuals, administer first aid.

Water safety instructor vs beach lifeguard skills

Common water safety instructor skills

Learn-To-Swim, 13%
Aquatic Facility, 11%
Head Lifeguard, 11%
In-Service Training, 7%
Safety Regulations, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common beach lifeguard skills

CPR, 34%
Emergency Situations, 9%
Patrol, 8%
Water Safety, 6%
Lifeguard Training, 6%
Public Safety, 4%

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Water Safety Instructor
Water Safety Instructor vs Beach Lifeguard

Updated January 8, 2025

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