Also called: Beach Lifeguard, Marine Safety Officer
Guards ocean beaches year-round, rescuing swimmers from rip currents and responding to emergencies.
Professional ocean lifeguards watch the water from towers, sprint into the surf with rescue cans, drive rescue trucks and jet skis, and handle medical emergencies on the sand. Some agencies also do cliff rescues and scuba recoveries.
Full-time professional agencies (e.g., LA County) pay far above seasonal guards.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. Tough ocean swim tests, EMT certification, and agency academy.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Kinesiology, Emergency Medical Services.
Growing about average. Approximate.
Low risk for 10 years. Rescue drones and AI cameras help spot swimmers; sprinting into surf to pull them out stays human.
Classes: PE / swimming, Health / first aid, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 33-9092.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.