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

It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 91.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,718/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 142% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay is 11% above the national median — $37K here vs. $34K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $34K — that’s +11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.

The median is $37,230 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,640, and experienced lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers can clear $47,280. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,663/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 91.5% 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.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers salary is worth about $32,612 in national-average purchasing power.

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.