Qualifying Exams To Become a City Lifeguard Start Next Month! NYC Parks Calls on all Interested New Yorkers to Sign Up Now

Photo: NYC Parks / Daniel Avila

Thanks to City’s successful contract negotiations, hourly wages for lifeguards are now $22.00 with a $1,000 annual bonus for returning lifeguards 

New modified test and free Swim Prep program make it easier than ever to get certified  

Today, a rally in Union Square called on New Yorkers to take the challenge and sign up for a qualifying test to become a lifeguard at the City’s beaches and pools next summer. Becoming a lifeguard has never been easier or more rewarding: this year, the City reached an agreement to permanently raise the wages for seasonal lifeguards to $22.00 per hour and offer a new modified certification exam for shallow water pools – making the test more accessible for new guards. Additionally, Parks will host a free Swim Prep program, where interested candidates can get personalized training to improve speed, endurance, and stroke technique on their journey to becoming a lifeguard.    

Lifeguard Qualifying Tests begin on Sunday, December 8, and will be held at indoor pools around the city, including recreation centers and schools. Test dates will be added on a rolling basis, running until early March 2025. Register for a qualifying test here.  

Steps to Becoming a Lifeguard 

1. Prep 

Find out if you meet the age, vision, and physical requirements to become an NYC Lifeguard and brush up on your swimming skills at one of our upcoming Swim Prep sessions. 

2. Test 

Sign up for a qualifying test. These tryouts take place in our indoor pools over the winter before the upcoming summer season. All potential lifeguards must pass the Lifeguard Qualifying Test, a vision and swim exam. 

3. Train 

Once you pass the qualifying test, your training to become an NYC Parks Lifeguard begins. You’ll strengthen your swimming, learn crucial lifesaving techniques, and receive your certification to become an NYC Parks Lifeguard. Lifeguard Training is a 16-session program that consists of 40 hours of training, a CPR course, and final swimming tests.  

4. Guard 

If you successfully complete the training program, you may be offered a full-time position at a beach or pool! Work locations include the beautiful oceanfront in the Rockaways, historic Coney Island, and more than 50 outdoor pools! Our beaches open on Memorial Day Weekend and outdoor pools open in late June. Beaches and pools close the Sunday After Labor Day. Put your skills into action and keep New Yorkers safe! 

Facing the effects of a nation-wide lifeguard shortage since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, NYC Parks has been aggressively focused on recruitment to rebuild lifeguard ranks. In summer 2024, Parks’ lifeguard corps grew significantly, with a total of 930 lifeguards at the season’s peak — including a 46% increase in new recruits.  

In May 2024, the City announced that an arbitration panel issued an award in the city’s negotiations with the bargaining unit representing city lifeguards. The award functionally paved the way for the city to be able to hire more lifeguards, allow more swimming capacity at beaches and pools over the coming summers, and improve operations of the city lifeguard program. Among other things, the award allowed the city to modify the qualification for lifeguards assigned to shallow water pools, no longer requiring the timed component of the now-300-yard swim for shallow-water pools. All other components of the training program, including the in-water and dry-land skill sets, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first-aid, back-boarding, and other rescue skills were maintained. 

For more information, visit the Become an NYC Parks Lifeguard page.