Skip to content
College Path Hub

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Monitor recreational areas, such as pools, beaches, or ski slopes, to provide assistance and protection to participants.

Median pay
$33,580

a year

Doing it now
162,000

across the country

By 2035
Up 5.5%

45,400 openings a year

Usually needs
No formal educational credential

to get in

What the work involves

  • Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.
  • Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.
  • Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.
  • Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
  • Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information.
  • Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.
  • Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information.

What to study

The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.

Who it suits

O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.

  • Hands-on and practical

  • Helping and teaching

  • Organised and precise

Answer 24 questions and see whether this is a fit for you

Careers like this one

Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $33,580 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.