Careers > Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

$27.27K Median Salary 35.7K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 24.5% Job Growth

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About This Career

Monitor recreational areas, such as pools, beaches, or ski slopes, to provide assistance and protection to participants.

Reported Job Titles

Beach Attendant, Beach Lifeguard, Lifeguard, Marine Safety Officer, Ocean Lifeguard, Ocean Lifeguard Specialist, Pool Attendant, Pool Lifeguard, Ski Patrol Paramedic, Ski Patroller

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Problem Sensitivity

Far Vision

Oral Expression

Oral Comprehension

Selective Attention

Speech Clarity

Deductive Reasoning

Flexibility of Closure

Speech Recognition

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Near Vision

Perceptual Speed

Speed of Closure

Stamina

Time Sharing

Trunk Strength

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service

Public Safety and Security

English Language

Education and Training

Medicine and Dentistry

Skills

Monitoring

Speaking

Social Perceptiveness

Service Orientation

Active Listening

Learning Strategies

Complex Problem Solving

Coordination

Critical Thinking

Judgment and Decision Making

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software

Instant messaging software

Electronic mail software

Desktop publishing software

Word processing software

Presentation software

Tools

Manlift or personnel lift

Life rings

Two way radios

Mobile medical services first aid kits

Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles

Direction finding compasses

Mobile medical services litter

Skis

Medical acoustic stethoscopes

Mercury blood pressure units

pH meters

Snowmobiles or snow scooter

Handheld thermometer

Extension pole

Radio frequency transmitters or receivers

Shovels

Axes

Snowboards

Mountain bicycles

Surfboards

Public address systems

Automatic pool cleaner

All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled

Safety harnesses or belts

Wetsuits

Swim goggles or swim fins

Water samplers

Orthopedic splint systems

Single gas monitors

Mobile medical services rappel kits

Global positioning system GPS receiver

Oxygen therapy delivery system products

Water analyzers

Abilities

Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Far Vision: The ability to see details at a distance.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Selective Attention: The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Flexibility of Closure: The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Perceptual Speed: The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Speed of Closure: The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Stamina: The ability to exert yourself physically over long periods of time without getting winded or out of breath.
Time Sharing: The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Trunk Strength: The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Public Safety and Security: Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training: Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Medicine and Dentistry: Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Skills

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Technology Skills

Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Instant messaging software: GroupMe
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Desktop publishing software: Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign; Microsoft Publisher
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint

Tools

Manlift or personnel lift: Manlift buckets
Life rings: Life buoys
Two way radios:
Mobile medical services first aid kits: Emergency first aid kits
Mobile medical services automated external defibrillators AED or hard paddles: Automated external defibrillators AED
Direction finding compasses: Magnetic compasses
Mobile medical services litter: Multi-level wheeled cots; Stair chairs
Skis: Snow skis
Medical acoustic stethoscopes: Mechanical stethoscopes
Mercury blood pressure units: Manual blood pressure cuffs
pH meters: pH monitors
Snowmobiles or snow scooter: Snowmobiles
Handheld thermometer: Handheld thermometers
Extension pole: Pike poles
Radio frequency transmitters or receivers: Animal transmitters; Radio telemetry equipment
Shovels: Snow shovels
Axes:
Snowboards: Competition snowboards
Mountain bicycles: Mountain bikes
Surfboards: Competition surfboards
Public address systems: Public address PA systems
Automatic pool cleaner: Pool vacuums
All terrain vehicles tracked or wheeled: All terrain vehicles ATV
Safety harnesses or belts: Climbing belts
Wetsuits: Diving suits
Swim goggles or swim fins: Swimming goggles
Water samplers: Mechanical sampling buckets; Sample jars
Orthopedic splint systems: Orthopedic splints
Single gas monitors: Carbon monoxide sensors; Mercury vapor analyzers
Mobile medical services rappel kits: Rescue rappel equipment
Global positioning system GPS receiver: Global positioning system GPS receivers
Oxygen therapy delivery system products: Oxygen administration equipment
Water analyzers: Water test kits