Pay, demand and where to work, from BLS data with the year on every table.
low → high: location quotient
Click a state. States: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (SOC 33-9092) employed 157,550 people in May 2025. The median pay is $33,580 a year ($16.14 an hour); the lowest-paid 10% earn under $25,780 and the highest-paid 10% more than $43,970. BLS projects its employment to change by +5.5% between 2025 and 2035 (about 45,400 openings a year including replacements). The typical way in: No formal educational credential.
Highest median pay: District of Columbia ($60,400), Hawaii ($52,630), California ($42,720). Most jobs: California (22,620), Texas (11,320), Florida (9,460).
| Measure ⇅ | Annual ⇅ | Hourly equivalent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $25,780 | $12.39 |
| 25th percentile | $28,880 | $13.88 |
| Median | $33,580 | $16.14 |
| Mean | $34,470 | $16.57 |
| 75th percentile | $37,520 | $18.04 |
| 90th percentile (experienced) | $43,970 | $21.14 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
Hourly equivalents divide by 2,080 hours. Pay above $239,200 is shown as "≥ $239,200" (BLS top code).
| Measure ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Jobs 2025 | 162,000 |
| Jobs 2035 (projected) | 170,800 |
| Change in jobs | 8,900 |
| Percent change | +5.5% |
| Openings a year (growth + replacements) | 45,400 |
| Self-employed share | n/a |
| Typical entry education | No formal educational credential |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Short-term on-the-job training |
Licences and certifications are set by states and employers; the education shown is the usual entry requirement, not a legal one.
| State ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ | Yearly rent as % of median pay ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1,080 | 0.51 | $28,130 | $20,560 | $33,770 | -16% | 46% |
| Alaska | 340 | 1.03 | $34,540 | $24,770 | $45,040 | +3% | 50% |
| Arizona | 3,950 | 1.20 | $35,380 | $30,580 | $40,150 | +5% | 57% |
| Arkansas | 530 | 0.40 | $27,000 | $23,310 | $34,050 | -20% | 44% |
| California | 22,620 | 1.23 | $42,720 | $34,620 | $58,710 | +27% | 59% |
| Colorado | 5,430 | 1.86 | $35,640 | $31,870 | $43,280 | +6% | 61% |
| Connecticut | 1,510 | 0.88 | $35,960 | $34,010 | $39,740 | +7% | 52% |
| Delaware | 360 | 0.73 | $31,930 | $31,200 | $33,700 | -5% | 58% |
| District of Columbia | 290 | 0.41 | $60,400 | $36,400 | $74,080 | +80% | 38% |
| Florida | 9,460 | 0.94 | $35,040 | $28,510 | $45,000 | +4% | 62% |
| Georgia | 2,840 | 0.57 | $30,880 | $24,420 | $38,480 | -8% | 59% |
| Hawaii | 720 | 1.13 | $52,630 | $33,720 | $79,840 | +57% | 44% |
| Idaho | 750 | 0.86 | $28,770 | $23,200 | $33,540 | -14% | 58% |
| Illinois | 5,880 | 0.95 | $33,710 | $31,200 | $37,050 | +0% | 47% |
| Indiana | 3,290 | 1.01 | $28,640 | $22,690 | $33,280 | -15% | 46% |
| Iowa | 1,410 | 0.89 | $25,460 | $20,560 | $31,460 | -24% | 46% |
| Kansas | 1,750 | 1.20 | $27,220 | $21,100 | $32,720 | -19% | 48% |
| Kentucky | 1,820 | 0.90 | $28,520 | $20,280 | $33,250 | -15% | 42% |
| Louisiana | 660 | 0.33 | $22,240 | $20,480 | $30,990 | -34% | 57% |
| Maine | 340 | 0.53 | $34,320 | $31,080 | $45,460 | +2% | 42% |
| Maryland | 4,160 | 1.49 | $34,520 | $31,200 | $40,550 | +3% | 60% |
| Massachusetts | 2,640 | 0.72 | $36,650 | $32,830 | $42,290 | +9% | 61% |
| Michigan | 3,770 | 0.84 | $29,760 | $25,960 | $47,630 | -11% | 47% |
| Minnesota | 2,130 | 0.71 | $31,870 | $25,950 | $38,120 | -5% | 49% |
| Mississippi | 330 | 0.28 | $24,440 | $21,110 | $31,200 | -27% | 49% |
| Missouri | 3,100 | 1.04 | $29,260 | $28,600 | $33,960 | -13% | 44% |
| Montana | 270 | 0.51 | $37,750 | $26,820 | $58,790 | +12% | 37% |
| Nebraska | 1,250 | 1.20 | $29,100 | $28,080 | $34,820 | -13% | 45% |
| Nevada | 2,630 | 1.68 | $30,830 | $27,750 | $34,640 | -8% | 67% |
| New Hampshire | 280 | 0.41 | $32,100 | $27,970 | $45,770 | -4% | 58% |
| New Jersey | 5,460 | 1.26 | $34,760 | $32,220 | $42,860 | +4% | 62% |
| New Mexico | 760 | 0.86 | $28,590 | $27,260 | $37,960 | -15% | 47% |
| New York | 8,740 | 0.89 | $36,590 | $32,240 | $45,190 | +9% | 54% |
| North Carolina | 4,850 | 0.97 | $27,310 | $21,830 | $36,390 | -19% | 59% |
| North Dakota | 580 | 1.33 | $28,430 | $22,880 | $33,930 | -15% | 41% |
| Ohio | 6,450 | 1.15 | $27,770 | $22,810 | $36,200 | -17% | 47% |
| Oklahoma | 650 | 0.38 | $25,250 | $20,830 | $35,410 | -25% | 50% |
| Oregon | 1,860 | 0.93 | $35,030 | $30,560 | $42,530 | +4% | 55% |
| Pennsylvania | 5,450 | 0.89 | $29,480 | $22,650 | $35,900 | -12% | 51% |
| Rhode Island | 370 | 0.72 | $35,770 | $31,200 | $41,490 | +7% | 48% |
| South Carolina | 1,900 | 0.81 | $26,210 | $20,470 | $35,430 | -22% | 58% |
| South Dakota | 490 | 1.05 | $30,990 | $26,760 | $35,610 | -8% | 39% |
| Tennessee | 2,330 | 0.70 | $28,200 | $22,080 | $34,330 | -16% | 55% |
| Texas | 11,320 | 0.79 | $29,450 | $22,580 | $41,740 | -12% | 60% |
| Utah | 2,550 | 1.45 | $28,720 | $21,280 | $46,210 | -14% | 67% |
| Vermont | 310 | 1.00 | $36,030 | $30,150 | $42,140 | +7% | 44% |
| Virginia | 8,920 | 2.14 | $30,070 | $26,790 | $37,450 | -10% | 66% |
| Washington | 4,720 | 1.31 | $37,770 | $34,650 | $45,940 | +12% | 58% |
| West Virginia | 450 | 0.63 | $24,670 | $20,570 | $30,160 | -27% | 43% |
| Wisconsin | 3,350 | 1.12 | $28,570 | $22,920 | $35,710 | -15% | 48% |
| Wyoming | 500 | 1.77 | $29,030 | $19,820 | $46,830 | -14% | 41% |
Location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in the state than in the nation. "n/a" means BLS suppressed the figure. Rent uses the state median gross rent (ACS).
The 60 highest-paying metropolitan areas among those with at least 300 jobs in this occupation.
| Metropolitan area ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Median pay ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,640 | $43,800 | $35,530 | $61,510 | 1.83 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 1,800 | $43,260 | $28,410 | $43,260 | 1.37 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,480 | $43,050 | $35,280 | $59,410 | 1.59 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,020 | $42,460 | $37,650 | $48,900 | 0.89 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 390 | $42,330 | $27,510 | $42,330 | 1.75 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 340 | $39,970 | $35,440 | $47,860 | 3.43 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,060 | $39,240 | $34,780 | $47,920 | 1.45 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,070 | $39,160 | $34,610 | $46,190 | 0.61 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,000 | $39,120 | $36,330 | $51,250 | 0.83 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 310 | $38,900 | $27,150 | $43,680 | 1.40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,000 | $38,070 | $34,320 | $44,280 | 0.91 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 460 | $37,650 | $34,320 | $50,070 | 1.41 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,730 | $37,230 | $28,640 | $47,280 | 0.95 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,000 | $37,180 | $32,980 | $42,830 | 0.73 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,820 | $36,620 | $32,640 | $39,280 | 1.73 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,610 | $36,600 | $32,240 | $45,530 | 1.00 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 1,090 | $36,350 | $33,350 | $43,910 | 0.89 |
| Worcester, MA | 300 | $36,010 | $31,220 | $41,310 | 0.83 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 550 | $35,960 | $34,010 | $41,450 | 0.91 |
| Tucson, AZ | 660 | $35,860 | $31,300 | $37,050 | 1.66 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 460 | $35,770 | $34,010 | $41,290 | 1.12 |
| Boulder, CO | 540 | $35,500 | $34,340 | $39,760 | 2.78 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 540 | $35,310 | $31,200 | $39,710 | 0.74 |
| Rochester, NY | 700 | $35,170 | $32,240 | $37,500 | 1.39 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | 510 | $35,010 | $32,240 | $41,600 | 0.95 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,380 | $34,830 | $30,970 | $39,390 | 0.99 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 310 | $34,770 | $29,790 | $46,530 | 0.89 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,600 | $34,710 | $29,120 | $44,000 | 1.45 |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | 320 | $34,650 | $34,650 | $36,420 | 1.24 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 1,380 | $34,090 | $27,400 | $38,240 | 0.70 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,550 | $34,080 | $31,200 | $36,360 | 1.85 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,960 | $33,750 | $31,200 | $37,780 | 1.09 |
| Reno, NV | 400 | $33,640 | $29,710 | $34,290 | 1.45 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 750 | $33,500 | $27,960 | $45,240 | 0.97 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 450 | $33,170 | $21,040 | $39,470 | 1.14 |
| Syracuse, NY | 330 | $32,870 | $32,240 | $41,970 | 1.07 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 690 | $32,380 | $28,370 | $48,600 | 0.83 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 440 | $32,240 | $32,240 | $37,340 | 0.96 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,980 | $32,220 | $27,650 | $37,430 | 1.01 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 370 | $32,180 | $30,800 | $34,980 | 1.16 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,910 | $31,860 | $25,650 | $38,900 | 0.65 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 620 | $31,720 | $28,170 | $45,430 | 0.43 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 2,080 | $30,830 | $27,710 | $34,580 | 1.80 |
| Madison, WI | 430 | $30,830 | $23,340 | $36,820 | 1.04 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1,680 | $30,730 | $28,600 | $34,500 | 1.24 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 1,240 | $30,590 | $28,600 | $33,250 | 1.11 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,980 | $30,510 | $28,930 | $37,290 | 2.08 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 1,540 | $30,320 | $23,400 | $39,120 | 1.38 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 880 | $29,870 | $20,410 | $33,250 | 1.27 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,930 | $29,770 | $25,470 | $35,040 | 0.96 |
| Roanoke, VA | 370 | $29,580 | $26,900 | $30,960 | 2.37 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 1,500 | $29,540 | $25,960 | $35,930 | 0.77 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 550 | $29,300 | $28,080 | $34,170 | 1.09 |
| Columbus, OH | 1,280 | $29,260 | $23,810 | $41,330 | 1.14 |
| Springfield, MO | 300 | $29,120 | $28,600 | $30,800 | 1.32 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 360 | $29,100 | $23,580 | $34,790 | 1.05 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 880 | $29,060 | $22,680 | $35,860 | 1.06 |
| Boise City, ID | 320 | $29,000 | $27,760 | $33,270 | 0.81 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 1,500 | $28,870 | $21,990 | $33,050 | 1.31 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 1,400 | $28,810 | $25,570 | $32,270 | 1.25 |
The median is $33,580 a year ($16.14 an hour); the lowest-paid tenth earn under $25,780 and the highest-paid tenth over $43,970 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
157,550 in May 2025, and BLS projects +5.5% growth to 2035.
The typical entry education is: No formal educational credential (BLS).
District of Columbia, with a median of $60,400 (among states with published figures).