Career
Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
Watch over swimmers, skiers and others at play.
$33,580
Median pay
+5.5%
Job growth, 2025–35
45,400
Openings a year
No formal educational credential
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.
- Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.
- Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.
- Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.
- Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then people & care?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Monitoring, Speaking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $33,580 a year and 45,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective ServicesCIP 03.0208
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Firefighters$59,280 · +3.7%
- Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians$35,450 · -1.3%
- Emergency Medical Technicians$44,470 · +5.8%
- Recreation Workers$36,560 · +4.3%
- Security Guards$38,020 · +0.9%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.