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Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers score 8 out of 100, which is low exposure to AI. That ranks #780 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 15 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 1 on its own and 0 more with extra software built on top of it. None of its tasks showed up in real AI use in April–May 2026.

8/ 100
Low
Rank
#780of 923 jobs
US workers
157,550BLS, May 2025
Median pay
$33,580a year
In real AI use
0 of 15tasks, April–May 2026

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

  • AI can speed this up on its own: 1 (7%)
  • AI can speed this up with extra software: 0 (0%)
  • Little or no AI speed-up: 14 (93%)
  • Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information.AI can speed this up on its own · core task
  • Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Maintain quality of pool water by testing chemical levels.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, or chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Inspect recreational facilities for cleanliness.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
  • Observe activities in assigned areas, using binoculars, to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Operate underwater recovery units.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Provide assistance with staff selection, training, and supervision.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Provide assistance in the safe use of equipment, such as ski lifts.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
  • Participate in recreational demonstrations to entertain resort guests.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

Similar jobs, lower exposure

Related occupations that score at least 10 points lower.

This job is already among the least exposed in its field.

Other jobs in this field

Protective Service occupations close to this one.

Questions about lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers and AI

Will AI replace lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers score 8 out of 100 (low exposure), #780 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 1 of the job's 15 tasks, 1 of them on its own, while 14 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information".

Which lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers"; "Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment"; "Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Not much yet. None of the job's tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude in April–May 2026, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workers, and what do they earn?

About 157,550 people in the US, with median pay of $33,580 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.

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