In Just 1 Year, 134 Lifeguards Cost Los Angeles Taxpayers $70 Million
The highest earner received a grand total of $523,351.
Summertime means hitting the beach and enjoying the open ocean. For taxpayers in Los Angeles County, these activities incur a substantial financial cost.
Recent reporting from Open the Books, a watchdog group, found that total compensation for 134 of the county's 1,500 lifeguards reached $70.8 million in 2024. Of this total, 34 earned $300,000 or more in their compensation package. Lifeguard Chief Fernando Boiteux was the top earner, receiving $523,351 in total compensation.
These numbers are a significant increase from 2021, when Open the Books "found 98 lifeguards earned at least $200,000 including benefits."
While base pay, time off, and health care benefits factor into these high costs, overtime pay is a major contributor to a lifeguard's compensation package. Open the Books found that 45 lifeguards "collected between $50,000 and $171,000" in overtime payments alone. The top overtime earner was Remy Smith, who received $171,000 in overtime and earned $468,556 in total compensation. All told, taxpayers have doled $4,782,570 to L.A.'s top overtime-earning lifeguards since 2020.
Lifeguards are also provided with a generous pension plan, which allows them to retire after 30 years and receive more than 70 percent of their annual pay.
The county's lifeguards earn significantly more than lifeguards in other coastal cities. In Miami Beach, the average lifeguard earns $65,471 annually, and the highest reported salary is only $96,291—and this rate is still 1,618 percent higher than the national average.
The county's ocean lifeguards also earn more than other lifeguards in the area. Lake and pool lifeguards, employed by the city's Parks and Recreation Department, make considerably less money. According to Open the Books, "the highest paid pool lifeguard was given $65,000 compensation—$53,000 in total pay, and $13,000 in benefits, which is about 12% that of the highest paid ocean lifeguard."
Lifeguards play a critical role in protecting people and saving lives. The United States Lifesaving Association estimates that 78,951 people across the country were rescued by lifeguards in 2024. But given how much people pay for the same work elsewhere—and given L.A.'s history of overpaying its public servants—taxpayers are forgiven for wondering whether their dollars could be used more wisely.
