Protective Service Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 33-9092

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Median pay sits 56% below the mid peer in Protective Service Occupations (neighbors include First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other, First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers, Transportation Security Screeners, Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers: First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other ($76K) , First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers ($56K) , Transportation Security Screeners ($67K) , Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers ($76K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 33-9092 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers
  2. 2. Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment
  3. 3. Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury
  4. 4. Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and…
  5. 5. Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct
  6. 6. Maintain quality of pool water by testing chemical levels
  7. 7. Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident inform…
  8. 8. Observe activities in assigned areas, using binoculars, to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions
  9. 9. Operate underwater recovery units
  10. 10. Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information
  11. 11. Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, or chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear
  12. 12. Provide assistance with staff selection, training, and supervision

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers: O*NET ranks Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 33-9092 - lead skill Monitoring at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Monitoring 3.8
  2. 2. Speaking 3.5
  3. 3. Social Perceptiveness 3.4
  4. 4. Service Orientation 3.3
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.1
  6. 6. Learning Strategies 3.1
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.0
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 3.6
  3. 3. English Language 3.5
  4. 4. Education and Training 3.1
  5. 5. Medicine and Dentistry 3.0
  6. 6. Psychology 3.0
Pay vs Protective Service Occupations peers
-56%
vs mid peer median $75,920
This role $33,580/yr
$34K
National median
↑ +6%
Growth 2024-2034
42,700
Annual openings
157,550
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other
Highest-pay peer · $76K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education No formal educational credential

Top Paying States for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

1. New York $36,590
2. Hawaii $52,630
3. Connecticut $35,960
4. Washington $37,770
5. Montana $37,750
6. Massachusetts $36,650
7. Vermont $36,030
8. Rhode Island $35,770
9. District of Columbia $60,400
10. California $42,720

Other Protective Service Occupations titles

  1. 1. Transportation Security Screeners $66,770
  2. 2. Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $76,210
  3. 3. Firefighters $59,280
  4. 4. Fish and Game Wardens $74,060
  5. 5. First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers $55,940
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other $76,400

Among Protective Service Occupations peers on this card, Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers sits 56% below the mid peer median ($75,920). Its own median is $33,580.

Employment Projections expect +6% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 42,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns No formal educational credential as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: New York at $36,590. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other at $76,400. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers pay-rank #24 in Protective Service Occupations

On the Protective Service Occupations median table (24 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers lands at #24, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 33-9092 · national median $33,580 · lower third of Protective Service Occupations (#24/24). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 33-9092

New York · top state for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

$37K published median

Hawaii · #2 state pay

$53K · behind New York

First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other

Highest-pay peer vs Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers · $76K

First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers

Lower-pay peer beside Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers · $56K

Compare Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Against another occupation

First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers land on the Protective Service Occupations median table? ▼
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is pay-rank #24 of 24 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: School Bus Monitors ($35K), Security Guards ($38K), Crossing Guards and Flaggers ($38K), Protective Service Workers, All Other ($43K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers. Leading ones include: 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…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers? ▼
For SOC 33-9092, O*NET importance scores lead with Monitoring (3.8), Speaking (3.5), Social Perceptiveness (3.4), Service Orientation (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $33,580 as the national median for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $25,780 to $43,970. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Protective Service Workers, All Other ($76,400), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is +6%. Projected annual openings: about 42,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers? ▼
BLS assigns No formal educational credential as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers? ▼
New York ($36,590), Hawaii ($52,630), Connecticut ($35,960) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 33-9092. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics