Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers Salary
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX make a median of $43,260 a year, or about $20.8 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $43K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.07), that's roughly $44,111 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,852/month, about 59.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos’s Regional Price Parity (98.07). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers
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What this looks like in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos sits well above the national pay line for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $34K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,852/month, which is 60.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.07) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers in metros near Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $30K | $29K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $28K | $28K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $29K | $30K |
| El Paso | $33K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Entry-level lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $43K or more, a $15K spread from bottom to top.
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $60K | +80% | 290 |
| Hawaii | $53K | +57% | 720 |
| California | $43K | +27% | 22,620 |
| Washington | $38K | +12% | 4,720 |
| Montana | $38K | +12% | 270 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | +9% | 2,640 |
| New York | $37K | +9% | 8,740 |
| Vermont | $36K | +7% | 310 |
| Connecticut | $36K | +7% | 1,510 |
| Rhode Island | $36K | +7% | 370 |
| Colorado | $36K | +6% | 5,430 |
| Arizona | $35K | +5% | 3,950 |
| Florida | $35K | +4% | 9,460 |
| Oregon | $35K | +4% | 1,860 |
| New Jersey | $35K | +4% | 5,460 |
| Alaska | $35K | +3% | 340 |
| Maryland | $35K | +3% | 4,160 |
| Maine | $34K | +2% | 340 |
| Illinois | $34K | +0% | 5,880 |
| New Hampshire | $32K | -4% | 280 |
| Delaware | $32K | -5% | 360 |
| Minnesota | $32K | -5% | 2,130 |
| South Dakota | $31K | -8% | 490 |
| Georgia | $31K | -8% | 2,840 |
| Nevada | $31K | -8% | 2,630 |
| Virginia | $30K | -10% | 8,920 |
| Michigan | $30K | -11% | 3,770 |
| Pennsylvania | $29K | -12% | 5,450 |
| Texas | $29K | -12% | 11,320 |
| Missouri | $29K | -13% | 3,100 |
| Nebraska | $29K | -13% | 1,250 |
| Wyoming | $29K | -14% | 500 |
| Idaho | $29K | -14% | 750 |
| Utah | $29K | -14% | 2,550 |
| Indiana | $29K | -15% | 3,290 |
| New Mexico | $29K | -15% | 760 |
| Wisconsin | $29K | -15% | 3,350 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -15% | 1,820 |
| North Dakota | $28K | -15% | 580 |
| Tennessee | $28K | -16% | 2,330 |
| Alabama | $28K | -16% | 1,080 |
| Ohio | $28K | -17% | 6,450 |
| North Carolina | $27K | -19% | 4,850 |
| Kansas | $27K | -19% | 1,750 |
| Arkansas | $27K | -20% | 530 |
| South Carolina | $26K | -22% | 1,900 |
| Iowa | $25K | -24% | 1,410 |
| Oklahoma | $25K | -25% | 650 |
| West Virginia | $25K | -27% | 450 |
| Mississippi | $24K | -27% | 330 |
| Louisiana | $22K | -34% | 660 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 60.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,852/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,705/month. At HUD’s $1,852/month FMR, rent would take 109% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service worker a high-paying job in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $43K here vs. $34K nationally.
How does Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos compare to the national average for lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.07), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers make in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX?
The median is $43,260 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,410, and experienced lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers can clear $43,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,067/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,852/month, which eats 60.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary go in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos?
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos has a Regional Price Parity of 98.07 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary is worth about $44,111 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.