Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

What Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers Do

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

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience

None

On-the-job training

Short-term on-the-job training

Self-employed

Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

• Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.0/5
• Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.6/5
• English Languageimportance 3.5/5
• Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
• Medicine and Dentistryimportance 3.0/5
• Psychologyimportance 3.0/5
• Administration and Managementimportance 2.7/5
• Chemistryimportance 2.5/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.5/5
• Contact With Others4.5/5
• Health and Safety of Other Workers4.2/5
• E-Mail4.2/5
• Frequency of Decision Making4.1/5

Related Careers

• Firefighters
• Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
• Emergency Medical Technicians
• Recreation Workers
• Security Guards
• Occupational Health and Safety Technicians
• Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
• First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

• Gambling Dealers96% skill match
• Waiters and Waitresses95% skill match
• Bailiffs95% skill match
• Medical Assistants95% skill match
• Crossing Guards and Flaggers95% skill match
• Occupational Therapy Aides95% skill match
• Childcare Workers95% skill match
• Public Safety Telecommunicators95% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

• Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
• Service Orientationimportance 3.3/5
• Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
• Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
• Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
• Instructingimportance 2.8/5
• Persuasionimportance 2.5/5
• Time Managementimportance 2.4/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

• Dependability
• Self-Control
• Stress Tolerance
• Cooperation
• Cautiousness
• Integrity
• Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

• RealisticHigh
• SocialMedium
• ConventionalMedium
• EnterprisingLow
• InvestigativeLow
• ArtisticLow

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

1. 1Flagstaff, AZ3.51× national avg
2. 2Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA3.43× national avg
3. 3Sandusky, OH3.15× national avg
4. 4Lewiston, ID-WA2.98× national avg
5. 5Boulder, CO2.78× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

• Crossing Guards and FlaggersLateral Move
• Public Safety TelecommunicatorsCareer Change
• Animal CaretakersCareer Change
• Maids and Housekeeping CleanersCareer Change

See the full career path from Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers →

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.