NYC Students: Become a Lifeguard This Summer

Think you have what it takes to get PAID this summer while helping to keep NYC beaches and pools safe?

Consider becoming an NYC Parks Lifeguard!

New York City’s 1,400 lifeguards help keep millions of people safe at the City’s eight beaches and 53 outdoor pools, and from now until January 10, 2020, anyone aged 16 or older can be considered for lifeguard training by signing up for and passing the City’s Qualifying Test, a set of vision and swimming exams.

Being an NYC lifeguard can be a pretty sweet gig, especially since lifeguarding gives you the opportunity to work in rewarding and challenging environments while developing lifelong leadership skills that can be used in any profession. Applicants who pass their Qualifying Test can then join the NYC Parks Lifeguard Training Program, which helps strengthen swimming skills while teaching applicants the critical lifesaving techniques of CPR, basic first-aid, and rescuing swimmers in distress.

Upon completion of the Lifeguard Training Program, applicants must then pass final swimming and written tests in order to be hired as an NYC Parks Lifeguard. Once hired, NYC Parks Lifeguards work up to 48 hours each week, and first-year lifeguards earn a minimum of $15 an hour (for a weekly salary of about $800).

To pass the Qualifying Test, applicants must:

• Be at least 16 years of age by the start of employment in summer 2020;
• Have at least 20/30 vision in one eye, and 20/40 in the other – without corrective lenses (Glasses and contact lenses may not be worn during the eye exam); and
• Be able to swim 50 yards in 35 seconds or less, with proper form.

For more information about Qualifying Test Locations and Dates, check out NYC Parks’ Lifeguard webpage, and look for qualifying test dates and times in your borough. Registration is NOT required, and you may try out as many times as you would like until you’ve passed the test—all you’ll need for the test is a bathing suit, towel, lock, and photo ID. But don’t wait; apply today—Qualifying Tests won’t be held after January 10, 2020!

On behalf of the DOE, we wish all of our student applicants success!

Photo Credit (Banner): “Lifeguard (color),” by Jen Gallardo. Used under Creative Commons license. Original can be found via Flickr.