AI Automation Index

Will AI Replace Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers?

Task-level automation exposure for Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers: 15 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.

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Developed & audited by Gini Loh

Automation Exposure

28% weighted task index

15 of 15 tasks scored

Median Salary

$33,580 / year

BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation

Employment Level

High

157,550 people hold this job — size, not growth

Projected 2025–35

+5.5% employment change

45,400 openings a year · BLS line item

Pay by state

BLS OEWS publishes 52 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.

$21,840 – $60,400

Highest medians

District of Columbia $60,400

Hawaii $52,630

California $42,720

Washington $37,770

Montana $37,750

Lowest medians

Puerto Rico $21,840

Louisiana $22,240

Mississippi $24,440

West Virginia $24,670

Oklahoma $25,250

State figures come from the 33-9092 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.

What the score is made of

Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.

Automation potential 28%

Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.

Physical work 7%

Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.

Judgment & influence 32%

Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.

Routine administration 8%

Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.

Rewritten by O*NET 0%

Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.

Consequence of error 61/100 High

O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.

Constituent Task Mix

15 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.

High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 8%

1 tasks

Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 27%

4 tasks

Low exposure (below 35%) 65%

10 tasks

How would you survive?

Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.

Simulate Upskilling →

Constituent Tasks

#5041 · Core · 15% automatable

Patrol or monitor recreational areas, such as trails, slopes, or swimming areas, on foot, in vehicles, or from towers.

situated mobility — Patrolling natural areas is physical mobile work

Patrol natural areas to ensure safety or enforce regulations.

#5039 · Core · 3% automatable

Rescue distressed persons, using rescue techniques and equipment.

situated mobility — Rescue requires physical presence in hazardous environments

Rescue people from hazardous situations.

#5040 · Core · 55% automatable

Contact emergency medical personnel in case of serious injury.

interpersonal — Emergency request requires live accountable action

Request emergency personnel.

#5042 · Core · 5% automatable

Examine injured persons and administer first aid or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, if necessary, using training and medical supplies and equipment.

physical manipulation — Administering first aid requires physical intervention

Administer first aid.

#5044 · Core · 50% automatable

Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.

interpersonal — Warning individuals is live, relational, accountable

Warn individuals about rule violations or safety concerns.

#20129 · Core · 20% automatable

Maintain quality of pool water by testing chemical levels.

visual inspection — Cleanliness inspection is physical and on-site

Inspect facilities for cleanliness.

#5045 · Core · 63% automatable

Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information.

data analysis — Maintain operational records in structured systems

Record information about environmental conditions. Maintain operational records.

#5043 · Core · 50% automatable

Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities and provide safety precaution information.

interpersonal — Training content AI-assisted; live instruction and demonstration human

Provide safety training.

#5046 · Core · 20% automatable

Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, or chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear.

visual inspection — Hands-on safety inspection of physical equipment

Inspect equipment to ensure safety or proper functioning.

#5048 · Core · 20% automatable

Inspect recreational facilities for cleanliness.

visual inspection — Cleanliness inspection is physical and on-site

Inspect facilities for cleanliness.

#5049 · Supplemental · 28% automatable

Observe activities in assigned areas, using binoculars, to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions.

visual inspection — Environmental hazard detection needs physical sensors

Observe individuals' activities to gather information or compile evidence. Monitor environmental conditions to detect hazards.

#5051 · Supplemental · 8% automatable

Operate underwater recovery units.

situated mobility — Vessel operation requires real-world navigation and control

Operate ships or other watercraft.

#5047 · Supplemental · 42% automatable

Provide assistance with staff selection, training, and supervision.

interpersonal — Live instruction and hands-on coaching require human presence

Train employees in proper work procedures.

#5050 · Supplemental · 15% automatable

Provide assistance in the safe use of equipment, such as ski lifts.

interpersonal — In-person comfort and safety assurance

Assist customers to ensure comfort or safety.

#5052 · Supplemental · 2% automatable

Participate in recreational demonstrations to entertain resort guests.

situated mobility — Athletic competition is inherently human physical

Participate in athletic events.

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Community Sentiment

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Method

How this was scored

1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.

Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.

Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast

See the full method →

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