We surveyed 11,156 lifeguards to learn what personality traits and interests make them unique. Here are the results.


Holland Codes

Lifeguards are social and realistic

Lifeguards tend to be predominantly social individuals, meaning that they thrive in situations where they can interact with, persuade, or help people. They also tend to be realistic, which means that they often enjoy working outdoors or applying themselves to a hands-on project.

If you are one or both of these archetypes, you may be well suited to be a lifeguard. However, if you are artistic, this is probably not a good career for you. Unsure of where you fit in? Take the career test now.

Here’s how the Holland codes of the average lifeguard break down:


Big Five

The top personality traits of lifeguards are extraversion and conscientiousness

Lifeguards score highly on extraversion, meaning that they rely on external stimuli to be happy, such as people or exciting surroundings. They also tend to be high on the measure of conscientiousness, which means that they are methodical, reliable, and generally plan out things in advance.

Once again, let’s break down the components of the personality of an average lifeguard: