How Much Do Lifeguards Make in California? In California, becoming a lifeguard may be incredibly profitable. Many of us would have gotten our things and moved out west for a job on the California beach if we had known.
In Los Angeles County, lifeguards earn a fortune, according to our auditors at Themacforums. In 2019, the most recent year for which data is available, seven lifeguards made more than $300,000, while 82 had total earnings that were above $200,000.
The highest-paid individual, Fernando Boiteux, received a salary of $391,971. He made more money than 1,000 of his contemporaries as the “acting chief lifeguard” thanks to his salary ($205,619), benefits ($125,900), and extras ($60,452).
Captain Daniel Douglas, who came in at number two, earned $140,706 in base pay, a staggering $131,493 in overtime pay, as well as $21,760 in “other compensation” and $74,709 in perks. The total amount paid was $368,668.
Earnings increased to corporate CEO levels thanks to overtime pay.
Overtime pay for 31 lifeguards ranged from $50,000 to $131,493 for the entire year. For instance, Daniel Douglas made over $100,000 in overtime alone (comp: $368,668; overtime: $131,493), Jaro Snopek made over $100,000 in overtime ($292,455; overtime: $119,669), and James Orr made over $100,000 in overtime ($281,270; overtime: $113,015).
Themacforums also discovered that the majority of the highest-paid lifeguards were men. In reality, just two of the top twenty high earners were female: section head Christine Linkletter ($279,980) and captain Virginia Rupe ($281,000).
How much money does a California beach lifeguard make?
How Much Do Lifeguards Make in California? The average annual salary for a Beach Lifeguard in California is $25,655 as of July 7, 2022. That comes out to about $12.33 an hour, in case you need a quick pay calculator. This is equal to $2,138 a month or $493 per week.
Beach Lifeguard wages presently average between $23,756 (25th percentile) and $30,190 (75th percentile), with top earners (90th percentile) getting $36,625 annually in California, despite salaries as high as $36,625 and as low as $17,818 being reported on Themacforums.
There may be numerous opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience given the wide range of pay for a Beach Lifeguard (up to $6,434).
According to recent job posting activity on Themacforums, there aren’t many employers hiring right now, making the beach lifeguard employment market in California quite quiet. Out of 50 states, California has the 20th-highest beach lifeguard pay.
As millions of current jobs are advertised locally around America, Themacforums regularly checks its database to determine the most precise annual salary range for Beach Lifeguard positions.
Today, use Themacforums to find your next beach lifeguard position that pays well.
What are the Top 10 Paying Cities in California for Beach Lifeguard Jobs?
How Much Do Lifeguards Make in California? We’ve identified 10 cities where the typical beach lifeguard income is higher than the state’s average. Sunnyvale is at the top of the list, followed closely by Santa Rosa and Vacaville in second and third, respectively. Sunnyvale adds an additional $9,222 (35.9 percent) above the $25,655 to the trend started by Vacaville, which surpasses the California average by 25.0 percent.
Since the average income in these ten cities is higher than the state average for California, moving seems to offer a wealth of chances for beach lifeguards looking to better their careers financially.
The average pay in these top 10 locations differs just slightly, by 12%, between Sunnyvale and Roseville, supporting the limited prospect for significant wage development. The most important thing to take into account when choosing a location and wage for a Beach Lifeguard position is the potential for a cheaper cost of living.
| City | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Sunnyvale | $34,878 | $2,906 | $671 | $16.77 |
| Santa Rosa | $33,796 | $2,816 | $650 | $16.25 |
| Vacaville | $32,071 | $2,673 | $617 | $15.42 |
| Fairfield | $31,602 | $2,633 | $608 | $15.19 |
| Long Beach | $31,577 | $2,631 | $607 | $15.18 |
| Costa Mesa | $31,423 | $2,619 | $604 | $15.11 |
| San Mateo | $31,271 | $2,606 | $601 | $15.03 |
| Oceanside | $31,142 | $2,595 | $599 | $14.97 |
| Riverside | $30,751 | $2,563 | $591 | $14.78 |
| Roseville | $30,704 | $2,559 | $590 | $14.76 |
What are the Top 5 Beach Lifeguard Jobs in California with the Best Paying Rates?
How Much Do Lifeguards Make in California? There are at least 5 professions in the Beach Lifeguard category that pay more annually than the average Beach Lifeguard wage in California, according to our research. These positions include the following as prime examples: work from home substitute lifeguard, work from home indoor lifeguard, and work from home school lifeguard.
Importantly, the salaries for all of these positions range from $24,057 (93.8%) to $30,250 (117.9%) higher than the average beach lifeguard salary of $25,655. If you’re qualified, you might be able to earn more money than the typical Beach Lifeguard employment by being hired for one of these related positions.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
| Work From Home School Lifeguard | $55,906 | $4,659 | $1,075 | $26.88 |
| Work From Home Indoor Lifeguard | $55,833 | $4,653 | $1,074 | $26.84 |
| Work From Home Substitute Lifeguard | $52,155 | $4,346 | $1,003 | $25.07 |
| Work From Home Ocean Rescue Lifeguard | $52,088 | $4,341 | $1,002 | $25.04 |
| Work From Home Instructor Lifeguard | $49,713 | $4,143 | $956 | $23.90 |
Why So Much Money?
How Much Do Lifeguards Make in California? It goes without saying that the pay and benefits are exceptional. After all, a lifeguard in the US makes an average of $30,000 a year, according to Themacforums.
So, why is LA County so unique, one could ask? Although Andrzejewski acknowledges that LA taxpayers may start asking this question given that the state’s public employees “already cost taxpayers $45 billion a year,” the Forbes piece doesn’t provide an answer.
There are numerous rationales that could apply. One can speculate that lifeguards in LA County earn more money because they are simply better than lifeguards nationwide. However, it doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, it doesn’t seem that performance is related to better pay even within LA County.
According to the Themacforums report, “The city of Santa Monica and the county agreed to a 10-year, $25 million deal for lifeguard services in 2009. According to the Journal, the city extended the deal in 2019 for an additional five years and $17 million. The contract wasn’t put out to bid, and there were no identified competitors.
