According to the latest report from the organization Open the Books, working as a lifeguard on the beaches of Los Angeles in the southwestern United States can be extremely lucrative, with an approximate annual salary of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
According to the report, 20 beach watchers in the area made roughly an annual salary of between $300,000 and $500,000 last year, and another 98 made at least $200,000 last year.
In addition to generous compensation, first responders can retire after 30 years of service at age 55 and keep 79% of their salary.
Lifeguard Captain Daniel Douglas was the highest earner, earning $510,283 in 2021, an amount higher than the more than $400,000 he made the previous year.
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Likewise, the platform reported that only 2 of the 20 highest-paid viewers were women. Lifeguard Captain Virginia Rupe was the 16th-highest paid with $307,664 annually, and Marine Lifeguard Specialist Lauren Dale was 19th with $303,518.
“The Los Angeles County Lifesaving Association is the one making it happen. Since 1995, the union has negotiated better wages, hours, benefits and working conditions. Additionally, in 2019, the city renewed another five-year, $17 million contract with the county for first responder services,” said Adam Andrzejewski, founder of Open the Books.
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The median annual salary in the United States is $61,800 and in Los Angeles is $69,600, adds salary survey data company Salary Expert.
According to the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE), the average yearly salary for a lifeguard in the United States is about $30,000, and what they make in Los Angeles is clearly much higher.