SOC 33-9092 · Protective Service Occupations
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers wages by metro
National median annual wage
$33,580
- 10th percentile
- $25,780
- 25th percentile
- $28,880
- Median
- $33,580
- 75th percentile
- $37,520
- 90th percentile
- $43,970
- Mean
- $34,470
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates.
National employment in May 2025: 157,550.
That median is 34.1% lower than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kahului-Wailuku, HI | 110 | $47,450 | $64,030 | $81,180 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Not available | $30,000 | $49,730 | $79,840 |
| Bozeman, MT | 100 | $40,660 | $44,610 | $69,340 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,640 | $35,530 | $43,800 | $61,510 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 1,800 | $28,410 | $43,260 | $43,260 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,480 | $35,280 | $43,050 | $59,410 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,020 | $37,650 | $42,460 | $48,900 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 390 | $27,510 | $42,330 | $42,330 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 50 | $28,680 | $41,310 | $46,580 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 340 | $35,440 | $39,970 | $47,860 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 260 | $34,320 | $39,580 | $54,100 |
| Traverse City, MI | 120 | $26,950 | $39,270 | $44,390 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,060 | $34,780 | $39,240 | $47,920 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 1,070 | $34,610 | $39,160 | $46,190 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,000 | $36,330 | $39,120 | $51,250 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 310 | $27,150 | $38,900 | $43,680 |
| Medford, OR | 70 | $30,100 | $38,790 | $38,790 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 210 | $34,320 | $38,480 | $38,480 |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | 290 | $32,220 | $38,130 | $42,280 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 1,000 | $34,320 | $38,070 | $44,280 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 11,640 | $35,530 | $43,800 | $61,510 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 9,610 | $32,240 | $36,600 | $45,530 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 4,960 | $31,200 | $33,750 | $37,780 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 4,600 | $29,120 | $34,710 | $44,000 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,930 | $25,470 | $29,770 | $35,040 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,060 | $34,780 | $39,240 | $47,920 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 2,980 | $28,930 | $30,510 | $37,290 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,980 | $27,650 | $32,220 | $37,430 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 2,820 | $32,640 | $36,620 | $39,280 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,730 | $28,640 | $37,230 | $47,280 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,550 | $31,200 | $34,080 | $36,360 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,480 | $35,280 | $43,050 | $59,410 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 2,380 | $30,970 | $34,830 | $39,390 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,320 | $22,410 | $27,540 | $33,570 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 2,080 | $27,710 | $30,830 | $34,580 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 2,060 | $25,810 | $27,890 | $34,520 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 2,000 | $32,980 | $37,180 | $42,830 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 2,000 | $36,330 | $39,120 | $51,250 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 1,910 | $25,650 | $31,860 | $38,900 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 1,880 | $21,610 | $28,740 | $45,900 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 290 | $36,400 | $60,400 | $74,080 |
| Hawaii | 720 | $33,720 | $52,630 | $79,840 |
| California | 22,620 | $34,620 | $42,720 | $58,710 |
| Washington | 4,720 | $34,650 | $37,770 | $45,940 |
| Montana | 270 | $26,820 | $37,750 | $58,790 |
| Massachusetts | 2,640 | $32,830 | $36,650 | $42,290 |
| New York | 8,740 | $32,240 | $36,590 | $45,190 |
| Vermont | 310 | $30,150 | $36,030 | $42,140 |
| Connecticut | 1,510 | $34,010 | $35,960 | $39,740 |
| Rhode Island | 370 | $31,200 | $35,770 | $41,490 |
| Colorado | 5,430 | $31,870 | $35,640 | $43,280 |
| Arizona | 3,950 | $30,580 | $35,380 | $40,150 |
| Florida | 9,460 | $28,510 | $35,040 | $45,000 |
| Oregon | 1,860 | $30,560 | $35,030 | $42,530 |
| New Jersey | 5,460 | $32,220 | $34,760 | $42,860 |
| Alaska | 340 | $24,770 | $34,540 | $45,040 |
| Maryland | 4,160 | $31,200 | $34,520 | $40,550 |
| Maine | 340 | $31,080 | $34,320 | $45,460 |
| Illinois | 5,880 | $31,200 | $33,710 | $37,050 |
| New Hampshire | 280 | $27,970 | $32,100 | $45,770 |
| Delaware | 360 | $31,200 | $31,930 | $33,700 |
| Minnesota | 2,130 | $25,950 | $31,870 | $38,120 |
| South Dakota | 490 | $26,760 | $30,990 | $35,610 |
| Georgia | 2,840 | $24,420 | $30,880 | $38,480 |
| Nevada | 2,630 | $27,750 | $30,830 | $34,640 |
| Virginia | 8,920 | $26,790 | $30,070 | $37,450 |
| Michigan | 3,770 | $25,960 | $29,760 | $47,630 |
| Pennsylvania | 5,450 | $22,650 | $29,480 | $35,900 |
| Texas | 11,320 | $22,580 | $29,450 | $41,740 |
| Missouri | 3,100 | $28,600 | $29,260 | $33,960 |
| Nebraska | 1,250 | $28,080 | $29,100 | $34,820 |
| Wyoming | 500 | $19,820 | $29,030 | $46,830 |
| Idaho | 750 | $23,200 | $28,770 | $33,540 |
| Utah | 2,550 | $21,280 | $28,720 | $46,210 |
| Indiana | 3,290 | $22,690 | $28,640 | $33,280 |
| New Mexico | 760 | $27,260 | $28,590 | $37,960 |
| Wisconsin | 3,350 | $22,920 | $28,570 | $35,710 |
| Kentucky | 1,820 | $20,280 | $28,520 | $33,250 |
| North Dakota | 580 | $22,880 | $28,430 | $33,930 |
| Tennessee | 2,330 | $22,080 | $28,200 | $34,330 |
| Alabama | 1,080 | $20,560 | $28,130 | $33,770 |
| Ohio | 6,450 | $22,810 | $27,770 | $36,200 |
| North Carolina | 4,850 | $21,830 | $27,310 | $36,390 |
| Kansas | 1,750 | $21,100 | $27,220 | $32,720 |
| Arkansas | 530 | $23,310 | $27,000 | $34,050 |
| South Carolina | 1,900 | $20,470 | $26,210 | $35,430 |
| Iowa | 1,410 | $20,560 | $25,460 | $31,460 |
| Oklahoma | 650 | $20,830 | $25,250 | $35,410 |
| West Virginia | 450 | $20,570 | $24,670 | $30,160 |
| Mississippi | 330 | $21,110 | $24,440 | $31,200 |
| Louisiana | 660 | $20,480 | $22,240 | $30,990 |
| Puerto Rico | 140 | $21,840 | $21,840 | $29,470 |
Other protective service occupations
- Security Guards
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
- Correctional Officers and Jailers
- Firefighters
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers
- Crossing Guards and Flaggers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is $33,580. Employment is 157,550.
How does Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers is 34.1% lower than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Kahului-Wailuku, HI is highest on this page's list at $64,030.