The Value of Lifeguarding and the American Lifeguard Association’s Perspective**
For generations, people have asked whether being a lifeguard is “worth it.” Some see it as a summer job, others as the first step on a career pathway in public safety, aquatic management, or emergency response. But when you look deeper—beyond the red suit, the whistle, and the chair—the answer becomes clear. Lifeguarding is far more than a job. It is meaningful work, a respected profession, and, in many cases, a life-defining experience.
From the standpoint of the American Lifeguard Association (ALA), one of the nation’s leading providers of lifeguard training and aquatic safety education, the role of a lifeguard is not only worth it—it is essential. Every day, lifeguards save lives, prevent accidents, educate the public, and create safer communities. They embody responsibility, readiness, and service.
Below, we break down what makes lifeguarding so valuable and why ALA believes this profession deserves both respect and recognition.
Lifeguarding Teaches Skills That Last a Lifetime
One of the biggest reasons lifeguarding is worth it is the quality and depth of the skills developed. A lifeguard acquires competencies that remain useful long after they step off the pool deck or beach.
Emergency Preparedness & Confidence
Lifeguards learn CPR, AED use, first aid, water rescue techniques, spinal stabilization, and real-time decision-making. These skills are not theoretical; they’re practiced and refined until they become instinctive.
ALA has always emphasized that these aren’t just “job skills” — they are life skills. Lifeguards are trained to recognize emergencies before they escalate, make split-second decisions, and remain calm under pressure. The ability to respond confidently in a crisis is something that serves people for the rest of their lives, wherever they go.
Leadership and Responsibility
Lifeguards often find themselves in charge of public spaces, sometimes supervising hundreds of guests at once. This responsibility builds leadership capabilities at a young age—something few other entry-level positions offer. Lifeguards grow comfortable giving direction, enforcing policies, and communicating clearly with both children and adults.
ALA sees these leadership traits as a key component of its training philosophy. The association believes that when individuals are given meaningful responsibility, they rise to meet it—and the result is personal growth that continues well beyond the job.
Professionalism & Work Ethic
Lifeguards must show up on time, remain vigilant, follow procedures, and act with integrity. That level of professionalism becomes a strong foundation for future careers—whether in healthcare, education, law enforcement, aquatics, or any other field.
Lifeguards Make a Direct, Immediate Impact on Public Safety
Many jobs claim to be meaningful, but lifeguarding actually is. A lifeguard’s presence is often the only barrier between a fun day in the water and a potential tragedy.
Prevention Is the Quiet Heroism
Most people don’t realize that the majority of rescues never happen—not because lifeguards aren’t needed, but because they intervene early. A whistle blast, a reminder to walk instead of run, a watchful eye that notices fatigue or submersion—these proactive actions prevent emergencies before they occur.
The ALA strongly believes that a great lifeguard is defined by what never happens. Prevention is the heart of the profession, and ALA’s blended training program places prevention at the center of its curriculum.
Real Rescues, Real Lives Saved
When emergencies do occur, lifeguards step into action. Every season, lifesaving stories emerge from pools, beaches, camps, waterparks, and community centers. For many lifeguards, the experience of saving someone’s life—or preventing a fatal injury—becomes one of the most profound moments they will ever have.
ALA often hears from its certified lifeguards that the knowledge they gained during training empowered them to save not only swimmers, but friends, family, and strangers in daily life. This is why the association holds such a strong commitment to training excellence and accessibility.
Lifeguarding Can Be the Start of a Career Path in Aquatics and Public Safety
While some people see lifeguarding as a summer job, others discover an entire profession waiting for them.
Opportunities That Grow With Experience
Lifeguards can advance into:
- Head Lifeguard
- Lifeguard Instructor
- Pool Manager
- Aquatics Director
- Public Safety or EMS roles
- Swim Coach / Instructor
- Risk Management & Facility Operations
ALA offers clear pathways for advancement, allowing individuals to move from lifeguard to instructor to managerial roles. Many successful aquatics professionals began in an entry-level guard position, and ALA is proud to support that journey.
Flexible and Universally Needed Work
Lifeguards are needed nationwide, and internationally – at:
- Municipal pools
- Country clubs
- Beaches
- Resorts and cruise ships
- Camps
- Gyms and community centers
This flexibility allows guards to work while in school, travel, or relocate. The job adapts to the individual, not the other way around.
Lifeguarding Offers Competitive Pay — Sometimes Much More Than People Realize
While pay varies by location, many aquatic facilities now offer higher wages, seasonal bonuses, tuition assistance, and flexible schedules. With staffing shortages across the country, lifeguards are in high demand, and wages have risen significantly in many areas.
Most lifeguard positions pay a fair, competitive hourly wage for entry-level safety work. But some specialized roles can go far beyond what the general public imagines.
A Real-World Example: LA County’s Elite Lifeguards
A recent Upworthy piece, summarizing local news reports out of California, highlighted how full-time Los Angeles County ocean lifeguards—especially those in supervisory or specialty roles—can earn very high incomes. According to that coverage:
- Among roughly 160 full-time LA County lifeguards, many earned in the range of $200,000 to $500,000 in a single year, once overtime and specialty pay were included.
- Only a small number (around ten) were above $300,000, and those individuals held management or specialized positions and logged a large amount of overtime.
- One captain’s base salary was reported at around $150,000, but overtime and additional pay pushed the total compensation well over that base.
- In the same period, LA County lifeguards were responsible for watching tens of millions of beachgoers and were credited with saving more than 10,000 swimmers in one year.
From ALA’s perspective, this kind of example does two important things:
- It challenges the stereotype that lifeguards are just teenagers making a little above minimum wage. At the highest levels, lifeguarding can be a serious public safety career with compensation that reflects the responsibility and risk.
- It underscores the value of expertise and commitment. These salaries are not for casual, part-time positions. They are attached to highly trained professionals working some of the busiest and most hazardous waterfronts in the world, often under union contracts, with intense competition just to be hired.
At the same time, ALA is careful to point out that not every lifeguard job will look like LA County’s elite posts. Most guards will earn more typical hourly wages. But the story illustrates a powerful truth: when society truly recognizes the importance of drowning prevention and water safety, it is willing to invest in the professionals who protect those spaces.
A Job That Works Around Life
Even outside of headline-making salary examples, lifeguarding often provides:
- Flexible schedules
- Outdoor work environments
- A friendly, team-oriented atmosphere
- Opportunities to stay physically active
ALA consistently hears from guards that they appreciate the balance between responsibility and lifestyle. It’s rare to find a job that helps you stay healthy, improve your skills, and make a meaningful impact—all while accommodating school, family, or other commitments.
Lifeguarding Builds Community and Purpose
Lifeguards form strong bonds with their coworkers and their facility community. They become mentors to younger swimmers, role models to families, and trusted figures in their local environment.
A Job With Daily Fulfillment
Few jobs allow you to directly see the positive effect of your presence every day. Whether it’s teaching a child to respect the water, reassuring a nervous parent, or keeping a community safe, lifeguards make their world better in visible ways.
ALA believes deeply in this aspect of the profession. The association’s mission is rooted in community safety, education, and empowering the next generation of lifeguards. Lifeguards are ambassadors of water safety, and their influence extends far beyond the pool deck.
The American Lifeguard Association’s Perspective
After more than three decades of training lifeguards, collaborating with agencies nationwide, and advocating for aquatic safety, the American Lifeguard Association’s stance is clear: Yes—being a lifeguard is absolutely worth it.
Why ALA Values Lifeguards So Highly
ALA believes lifeguards represent the best of public service:
- They protect lives.
- They prevent injuries.
- They educate communities.
- They uphold national standards.
- They respond in moments that truly matter.
Stories like the LA County example only reinforce what ALA has believed from the beginning: when lifeguards are well trained, well supported, and properly valued, they become an indispensable layer of public safety infrastructure.
A Lifelong Impact
From ALA’s perspective, the benefits of lifeguarding ripple outward:
- The individual becomes more confident, skilled, and responsible.
- The community becomes safer.
- Families feel more secure.
- Aquatic facilities function more effectively.
ALA is honored to play a part in developing the nation’s lifeguards and believes the profession deserves continued respect, recognition, and support—whether that’s at a neighborhood pool or on one of the busiest beaches in the country.
Conclusion: Yes, Lifeguarding Is Worth It—For You, and for Everyone You Serve
When you combine the skills learned, the lives protected, the opportunities for advancement, the personal growth, and the pride that comes from being part of a respected safety profession, the answer is unmistakable:
Being a lifeguard is absolutely worth it.
It shapes character. It builds leaders. It saves lives.
From the American Lifeguard Association’s perspective, lifeguards are not just employees – they are guardians of public safety, role models in their communities, and individuals who make the world safer every day they step on duty. ALA is proud of every lifeguard who has trained through its programs and remains committed to supporting, educating, and empowering them for decades to come.
