Sources: Alabama State Personnel Department, Alabama Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan (effective 09/01/2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.
Alabama state pay plan Sourced
Published rates for each class, lowest first, effective September 1, 2026. These are the ranges Alabama sets for its own state employees; cities, counties and school districts have their own pay plans.
| Class and grade | Published rate |
|---|---|
| Life Guard Class 70601 Grade 36 | $823.00 – $1,182.40 a half-month $19,752 – $28,378 a year 16 steps
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Schedule: Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan, semi-monthly step rates. Rates are as the plan publishes them; "a year" figures are conversions. Classes are matched to this job by title (GovJobsWiki editorial rule).
Source: Alabama State Personnel Department, Alabama Merit Semi-Monthly Compensation Plan (effective 09/01/2026). Data captured September 30, 2026.
Pay in Alabama, all employers Sourced
Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers (SOC 33-9092) in Alabama, all employers combined: BLS state estimates do not separate government from private.
| Measure | AL |
|---|---|
| Workers | 1,080 |
| 10th percentile | $20,560 |
| Median | $28,130 |
| 90th percentile | $33,770 |
| National median, government employers | $34,580 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.
More about this job
Requirements, hiring process, training, schedule and day-to-day work are on the national Lifeguard (city / state beaches & pools) page.