Lifeguard
Impact: Direct life-saving and safety
Ensure the safety of swimmers and patrons by monitoring aquatic environments, preventing injuries, administering first aid, rescuing distressed individuals, and enforcing safety rules to maintain a secure environment.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Extensive
- Team vs solo
- Team-oriented with solo responsibilities
- Client facing
- Always
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- None
- Schedule flexibility
- Rigid
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40
- Stress level
- High
At a glance
- Median salary
- $36,000
- Entry-level
- $33,000
- Senior
- $45,000
- Growth by 2033
- 5
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- High
- Salary growth potential
- Low
- Typical student debt
- $0
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- First Aid
- CPR
- Water Rescue Techniques
Soft skills
- Vigilance
- Communication
- Problem-solving
Technical complexity: Low
How to get there
- Minimum education
- High School Diploma or Equivalent
- Licensing
- Yes
- Years to mid-career
- 3
- Years to senior
- 7
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Head Lifeguard, Aquatics Manager, EMT
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 1
- AI disruption risk
- Very Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6.5/10
- Meaning
- 7.5/10
- Work-life balance
- 5/10
- Prestige
- 3.5/10
- Social perception
- Moderate