David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson aren’t the only Baywatchers bringing in the big bucks. As I reported last week, some lifeguards in Newport Beach are pulling in more than $200,000 a year in total compensation. And, it turns out, cities up and down the coast of California are paying similar compensation for lifeguarding positions.
After uncovering Newport Beach data on a tip from Jack Wu, a former Newport council candidate, it at first seemed like the practice of paying permanent, full-time lifeguards $100,000 to $200,000 – and allowing them to retire with 90 percent of their salary after working 30 years – was confined to Newport. But after further examination , it became apparent that high pay for this profession is common practice – at least in the Golden State.
Brent Jacobsen, president of the Lifeguard Management Association in Newport Beach, said, “We have negotiated very fair and very reasonable salaries in conjunction with comparable positions and other cities up and down the coast.” He added that Newport’s lifeguard salaries “are well within the norm of other city employees.”
Full story: Brian Calle: Lifeguard ‘$100,000 Club’ goes way beyond Newport