Lifeguards & Ski Patrol vs Firefighters
Median pay is about $26k higher for Firefighters. The usual entry education is no formal credential for Lifeguards & Ski Patrol and postsecondary cert for Firefighters.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Lifeguards & Ski Patrol | Firefighters |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $33,580 | $59,280, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $28,880 | $44,490, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $37,520 | $77,250, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +5.5% Growing fast, higher | +3.7% Growing |
| Openings a year | 45,400 | 26,800 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | No formal credential | Postsecondary cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 1.8 / 5 | 2.8 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 30th pct | 17th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Lifeguards & Ski Patrol
- Learning Strategies
Only Firefighters
- Active Learning
Both lean on monitoring, speaking, active listening, critical thinking, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.