Lifeguard
Lifeguard Salary
$19K - $24K
7% of jobs
$27.8K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$24K - $29K
23% of jobs
The median wage is $31.7K / yr.
$29K - $34K
36% of jobs
$36K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$34K - $39K
22% of jobs
$39K - $44K
7% of jobs
$44K - $49K
2% of jobs
$49K - $54K
1% of jobs
$54K - $59K
0% of jobs
$59K - $64K
0% of jobs
$64K - $69K
0% of jobs
$69K - $74K
1% of jobs
$19K
$32.5K
$76.5K
$35,774
/year
$17.20
/hour
Lifeguard Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$35,774
Columbus
Ohio
$34,554
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How much does a Lifeguard make?
As of Jun 30, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lifeguard in the United States is $35,774 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $17.20 an hour. This is the equivalent of $687/week or $2,981/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $76,500 and as low as $19,000, the majority of Lifeguard salaries currently range between $28,500 (25th percentile) to $36,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $44,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lifeguard varies greatly (by as much as 8000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Lifeguard in your area makes on average $34,554 per year, or $1,220 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $35,774. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Lifeguard salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lifeguard jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Lifeguard on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lifeguard Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lifeguard job is above the national average. Topping the list is Portola Valley, CA, , with Nome, AK, and Cupertino, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Cupertino, CA, beats the national average by $8,362 (23.4%), and Portola Valley, CA, furthers that trend with another $14,088 (39.4%) above the $35,774 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lifeguard appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 12% between Portola Valley, CA, and Berkeley, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Lifeguard role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Portola Valley, CA | $49,862 | $23.97 |
Nome, AK | $44,377 | $21.34 |
Cupertino, CA | $44,136 | $21.22 |
Rancho Rinconada, CA | $44,040 | $21.17 |
Nantucket, MA | $44,019 | $21.16 |
San Francisco, CA | $43,902 | $21.11 |
Larkspur, CA | $43,894 | $21.10 |
California City, CA | $43,875 | $21.09 |
Mercer Island, WA | $43,813 | $21.06 |
Berkeley, CA | $43,803 | $21.06 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lifeguard Jobs in the U.S.
We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Lifeguard category.
For example Search And Rescue Swift Water Rescue jobs pay as much as $57,097 (159.6%) more than the average Lifeguard salary of $35,774. If you're qualified, finding work as a Search And Rescue Swift Water Rescue may help you make more money than that of the average Lifeguard position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Search And Rescue Swift Water Rescue | $92,871 | $44.65 |
Certificate Program | $90,556 | $43.54 |
Lifeguard Supervisor | $42,252 | $20.31 |
Pool Water Products | $39,050 | $18.77 |
Lifeguards | $33,387 | $16.05 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
