Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 63.1% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.

Key Statistics

21,730
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$46,290
Average Salary

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers workforce.

Employment Over Time

21,730 Workforce in 2023

The Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$46,290 Average Wage

In 2023, Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers earned an average of $46,290.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Salary distribution for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Employment Growth Projections

5.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

111,098 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: 29.6%

143,957 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: 67.9%

This occupation is projected to grow at 5.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Wage Trends by Industry

17.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 20,710 employees, $46,474 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,540 employees, $52,395 avg wage
  • Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 4,790 employees, $45,479 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,640 employees, $46,536 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,250 employees, $42,515 avg wage
  • Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,130 employees, $42,855 avg wage
  • San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,070 employees, $46,598 avg wage
  • San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 870 employees, $46,305 avg wage
  • Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 800 employees, $39,358 avg wage
  • Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 430 employees, $41,929 avg wage
  • Stockton-Lodi MSA: 340 employees, $39,985 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Diversity

Demographic information on Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers in 2023 was 21,730 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers in 2023 were Business Administration, Health Sciences, Business.

Common majors for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers workers.

Education level distribution for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Skills

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers need many skills, but most especially Monitoring, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Learning Strategies.

Required skills for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers include Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Education and Training, Medicine and Dentistry.

Knowledge areas required for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Far Vision, Speech Clarity, Oral Comprehension.

Required abilities for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

Daily Activities

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers spend their time on activities such as Assisting and Caring for Others, Performing General Physical Activities, Performing for or Working Directly with the Public, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Documenting/Recording Information.

Most important work activities for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers.

About

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

The average yearly wage for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers was $46,290 in 2023.

SOC Code

33-9092 - Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers reports an average salary of $46,290.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 21,730 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.