Lifeguards had hourly mean wages over $21.00 in two states and the District of Columbia in 2024

In the heat of summer, it’s tempting to cool down by taking a dip at the pool or beach. Let’s take a closer look at the wages and employment of those who keep us safe while we enjoy our fun in the sun. 

Lifeguards – whose occupational category also includes ski patrol and other recreational protective service workers – earned a mean hourly wage of $21.00 or more in the District of Columbia ($28.91), Hawaii ($27.83), and California ($21.64) in May 2024.  Wages for these jobs were about $12.00 or less in Oklahoma ($11.93), Louisiana ($11.83), and Mississippi ($11.51).

Nearly 22,000 lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers were employed in California in May 2024. Only two other states had employment of around 10,000 or more for this occupation: Texas (11,600) and Florida (10,010). Employment of these recreational protective service workers was about 300 or less in Delaware (290), Vermont (280), Maine (250), and Rhode Island and Montana (200 each).

These data are from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. To learn more, see the state occupational employment and wage statistics. The May 2024 OEWS release does not include data for Colorado and its areas.