The Department of Environmental Management is offering one-time sign-on and retention bonuses of $500 each and hourly pay increases of between 10% and almost 15% to lifeguards this summer.

According to a release, DEM views the incentives as critical to recruiting more lifeguards to staff state beaches and parks, which attract nearly 10 million visitors and add an estimated $300 million annually to the state economy, according to a URI study.

The historically tight national labor market, which continues to include a low labor force participation rate among teenagers 16 to 19, has affected practically every employer in the country, whether public or private sector.

Full-time lifeguard positions are available at all state swimming areas, including surf beaches such as Roger Wheeler and Misquamicut, non-surf beaches such as Goddard Memorial State Park, and freshwater beaches such as Burlingame Campground and Lincoln Woods State Park. Optimally, DEM would hire a workforce of around 150 lifeguards; the agency had about 85 in place for most of the 2022 summer. Despite this, DEM only had to restrict swimming areas at a few beaches a handful of times last year. Lifeguard pay ranges from $14 to $18.75 an hour based on location, experience, and position level. The raises range from 10.7% (from $14 to $15.50 for Lifeguard I jobs) to 14% (from $16 to $18.75 for Seasonal Supervising Lifeguard positions). All lifeguard candidates must receive state certification and have successfully completed courses and hold valid cards in lifeguard training, first aid, and CPR including infant, child, and adult.