Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers Salary: $33,720 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 143,590 lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers work nationally, and $33,720 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 63% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.3% annual growth.
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers: what the data shows
Common questions about lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers?
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 33-9092.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 143,590 workers.
What does a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include 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, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $33,720 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $46,290 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,676 |
| 25th percentile | $37,918 |
| Median (50th) | $43,729 |
| 75th percentile | $48,069 |
| 90th percentile | $62,189 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Monitoring, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Learning Strategies, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language, Education and Training. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 29.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 67.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 143,590.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 143,590 | 17.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 86,190 | 10.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 57,400 | 7.1% |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 54,490 | 6.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 54,030 | 6.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 54,030 | 6.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians | 18,710 | $50,540 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers | 124,130 | $56,170 |
| Postal Service Mail Carriers | 336,040 | $57,490 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other | 20,460 | $74,960 |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | 16,640 | $56,750 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers workforce.
Employment Over Time
143,590 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers grew from 37,420 in 2009 to 85,740 in 2025 (129.1%).
Historical employment for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$33,720 Median pay (BLS national)
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers earn $33,720 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 21,730 employees, $45,010 avg wage
- TX: 11,600 employees, $30,280 avg wage
- FL: 10,010 employees, $36,530 avg wage
- NY: 7,730 employees, $37,350 avg wage
- VA: 6,700 employees, $33,270 avg wage
- IL: 5,740 employees, $33,950 avg wage
- CO: 5,220 employees, $37,640 avg wage
- OH: 5,050 employees, $28,920 avg wage
- NJ: 4,680 employees, $35,850 avg wage
- PA: 4,570 employees, $30,320 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-Anaheim, CA: 10,320 employees, $47,830 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 8,380 employees, $37,900 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 4,730 employees, $34,450 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 3,920 employees, $29,770 avg wage
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 3,700 employees, $35,010 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 3,580 employees, $38,430 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 2,740 employees, $36,310 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,640 employees, $41,300 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 2,640 employees, $45,250 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,190 employees, $31,430 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 U.S. workforce for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is about 143,590 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers earn $33,720 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 143,590 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.