# Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

US SOC code 33-9092. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/33-9092

Also called: Lifeguard, Ski patroller, Ski patrol, Beach lifeguard, Pool lifeguard.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **157,550** US lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers, with median pay of **$33,580** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2004, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.originalwatermen.com/history-lifeguards-united-states) of **12,000** from 1930, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era in this work: Computer-vision drowning detection, 2004 to 2020.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=33-9092&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **16%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1848
- Latest US employment: 157,550 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $33,580 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: +5.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [19]

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1930 | 12,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Watermen Brand [1] |
| 1950 | 40,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [2] |
| 1970 | 90,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Gohlke Pools [3] |
| 1980 | n/a | $8,500 (estimate) | Est., US Department of Labor [6] |
| 2000 | 120,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., O\*NET Online [4] |
| 2004 | 108,210 | $16,540 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 107,620 | $16,910 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 108,870 | $17,160 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 107,420 | $17,980 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 111,560 | $18,450 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 115,640 | $18,700 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 117,540 | $18,840 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 123,140 | $18,900 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 125,770 | $18,950 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 130,700 | $19,040 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 135,070 | $19,090 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 141,670 | $19,500 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 145,100 | $20,290 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 145,660 | $21,290 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 144,370 | $22,410 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 143,940 | $23,420 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 113,150 | $25,020 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 114,320 | $25,630 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 107,930 | $27,270 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 123,560 | $30,380 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 143,590 | $33,720 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 157,550 | $33,580 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (79)

### Employment series

1. [Watermen Brand — "History of Lifeguards in the United States" (early municipal professional lifeguard services, 1930s)](https://www.originalwatermen.com/history-lifeguards-united-states), Watermen Brand / Lifeguard History
2. [Wikipedia — "National Ski Patrol" (NSP founded 1938 Stowe VT; 4,000 members in 300 patrols by Dole's 1950 retirement)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ski_Patrol), Wikipedia
3. [Gohlke Pools — "History of Swimming Pools in the United States" (50,000-60,000 pools built per year in the 1960s)](https://gohlkepools.com/history-swimming-pools-united-states/), Gohlke Pools
4. [O\*NET Online — 33-9092.00 Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers (occupation summary)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-9092.00), O\*NET / BLS
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [US Department of Labor — Federal Minimum Wage History (minimum wage 1980-1981: $3.10-$3.35/hr)](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/history), US Department of Labor
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

8. [US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association — "History of the USLSS" (surf boats, Lyle gun, breeches buoy)](https://uslife-savingservice.org/about-us/history-of-the-uslss/), US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association
9. [National Park Service — "US Life-Saving Service" (equipment, rescue methods, professionalization)](https://www.nps.gov/articles/life-saving-service.htm), National Park Service
10. [American Red Cross — "140 years of service: Millions learn to swim through Red Cross swimming and water safety program" (Longfellow 1914 founding)](https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/millions-learn-to-swim-through-swimming-and-water-safety-program.html), American Red Cross
11. [Watermen Brand — "History of Lifeguards in the United States" (Red Cross Lifesaving Corps, standardized training)](https://www.originalwatermen.com/history-lifeguards-united-states), Watermen Brand
12. [SureFire CPR — "The History of CPR: A Brief Guide" (Kouwenhoven, Safar, Jude 1960 CPR invention)](https://surefirecpr.com/cpr/history-of-cpr/), SureFire CPR
13. [City of San Diego — "Lifeguard History" (1960s scuba training, CPR training addition)](https://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/about/history), City of San Diego
14. [USLA — "United States Lifesaving Association History" (equipment evolution, professionalization milestones)](https://www.usla.org/page/HISTORY/United-States-Lifesaving-Association-USLA-History.htm), United States Lifesaving Association
15. [OSHA — "Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) Overview" (state AED requirements at aquatic facilities)](https://www.osha.gov/aed), OSHA
16. [Poseidon Technologies — drowning detection system overview (commercial deployment since ~2004)](https://poseidon-tech.com/), Poseidon Technologies
17. [Adventure Sports Network 2025 — Palisades Tahoe ski patrol testing Got-U GPS app for real-time patroller location](https://www.adventuresportsnetwork.com/ski/avalanche-app-testing-palisades-tahoe-got-u), Adventure Sports Network
18. [Unofficial Networks June 2026 — Val Thorens deploys DJI Dock 3 autonomous drones for mountain rescue](https://unofficialnetworks.com/2026/06/04/ski-resort-autonomous-drones-rescue/), Unofficial Networks

### Forecasts and exposure studies

19. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 33-9092 Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (2025: 162.0 thousand; 2035: 170.8 thousand; +5.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=33-9092&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
20. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 33-9092.00, human-rated β 0.16)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

21. [US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association — "History of the USLSS" (Newell Act 1848)](https://uslife-savingservice.org/about-us/history-of-the-uslss/), US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association
22. [Watermen Brand — "History of Lifeguards in the United States" (Longfellow Red Cross Lifesaving Corps 1914)](https://www.originalwatermen.com/history-lifeguards-united-states), Watermen Brand
23. [Wikipedia — "National Ski Patrol" (NSP founding 1938, Stowe, Vermont; Dole and Langley; 4,000 members in 300 patrols by 1950)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Ski_Patrol), Wikipedia
24. [Charles Minot Dole — Wikipedia (Dole's role recruiting for the 10th Mountain Division and its post-war ski resort founders)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Minot_Dole), Wikipedia
25. [SureFire CPR — "The History of CPR: A Brief Guide" (Kouwenhoven, Safar, Jude 1960)](https://surefirecpr.com/cpr/history-of-cpr/), SureFire CPR
26. [USLA — "United States Lifesaving Association History" (1964 founding as Surf Life Saving Association of America)](https://www.usla.org/page/HISTORY/United-States-Lifesaving-Association-USLA-History.htm), United States Lifesaving Association
27. [City of San Diego — "Lifeguard History" (1972 public officer status; women hired 1970s)](https://www.sandiego.gov/lifeguards/about/history), City of San Diego
28. [Axios — "Lifeguard shortage drags on for third summer in a row" (May 2023)](https://www.axios.com/2023/05/28/lifeguard-shortage-pool-hours-closings), Axios

### Predecessors & successors

29. [National Park Service — "US Life-Saving Service" (direct ancestor of beach lifeguarding)](https://www.nps.gov/articles/life-saving-service.htm), National Park Service
30. [American Red Cross — "140 years of service: Swimming and water safety program" (1914 Longfellow Lifesaving Corps)](https://www.redcross.org/about-us/news-and-events/news/2021/millions-learn-to-swim-through-swimming-and-water-safety-program.html), American Red Cross

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers (33-9092.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/33-9092.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): LLM exposure framework; physically intensive protective roles carry near-zero text-task exposure](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Goldman Sachs 2023 — The Jobs AI Is Likely to Boost and Those It May Disrupt: construction/maintenance at 6%, outdoor physical roles minimal AI exposure](https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/the-jobs-ai-is-likely-to-boost-and-those-it-may-disrupt), accessed 2026-06-05
- [BLS OOH — Lifeguards, Ski Patrol: 149,700 employed; projected 5-6% growth 2024-2034; median annual $33,720](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/protective-service/lifeguards-ski-patrol-and-other-recreational-protective-service-workers.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Watchtower — cloud-based CAD platform for lifeguarding and marine safety; incident data collection, GIS mapping, resource dispatch](https://www.yourwatchtower.com/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Poseidon drowning detection — computer vision system alerts within 10 seconds; deployed in 200+ pools worldwide](https://poseidon-tech.com/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [LifeguardEye — AI drowning detection and risk management; zone-based monitoring with real-time audio alerts to guard devices](https://lifeguardeye.com/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.