California Lifeguards Raked In Six-Figure Salaries on the Backs of Taxpayers
by Jenna Curren
Law Enforcement Today
Jul 4, 2025
Los Angeles County Lifeguards
LOS ANGELES, CA - On Tuesday, July 1st, a government watchdog group
reported that over 100 Los Angeles County lifeguards saw a total compensation of $70.8 million in 2024, with the top earner netting $523,351.
The lifeguards' highly inflated pay was originally investigated by watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com in 2019, when the group found that lifeguards in Los Angeles County earned wages high above the national average, the Daily Caller reported.
The report also found that the lifeguards enjoy lucrative early retirement and health benefits, hefty overtime pay, and leadership taking home hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Several outlets covered the initial report, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Forbes, and Fox, yet the watchdog group found that five years later the inflated lifeguard salaries continued to drain LA taxpayer resources.
An updated 2024 analysis from the watchdog group found that 134 lifeguards earned at least $200,000 in 2024, including benefits, while 34 of the highest earners received $300,000 in compensation packages, as noted in OpenTheBooks' new report.
Approximately $70.8 million was paid out in 2024, which also includes base pay, overtime pay, and "other pay" among other benefits.
Lifeguard Services Chief Fernando Boiteux received $523,351 in total compensation, including base pay, additional pay, and benefits, according to the report.
Over five years, the top 10 lifeguards earning the most overtime collected between $345,000 and $702,000 each, totaling a taxpayer's payout of $4,782,570 for that group of 10 since 2020.
"County lifeguards like Boiteux can retire relatively early at 50, with plenty of time to pursue other professional projects, while collecting defined pension benefits for years to come," the report states.
"Using the conservative end of the scale, at 70% of base pay, a lifeguard with Boiteux's base pay alone could continue collecting $191,849 for years to come, plus cost of living adjustments, making them potential multimillionaires when all is said and done."
In 2021, the Wall Street Journal found that lucrative payouts for LA County lifeguards were a product of non-competitive contracts and cozy union relations in the city of Santa Monica. The Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association has lobbied the county since 1995.
"In 2009 the city of Santa Monica signed a 10-year, $25 million contract with the county for lifeguard services," according to WSJ.
"In 2019, the city extended the contract for five years and $17 million. There were no identified competitors and the contract wasn't put out for bid," the report added.
Lifeguards are not the only city personnel bringing in the big bucks. A top-compensated Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective earned $603,887 in 2024, with a staggering $404,875 coming from overtime pay.
The Fire Department boasts similar numbers, with their top 10 employees each clearing over $500,000 in 2024 and a battalion chief who received $906,060, OpenTheBooks.com CEO John Hart reported in a recent investigative piece.
"Cozy public union relationships, layers of government overreach and red tape have put Californians in a hole," Hart wrote.
"Digging out will take a fresh approach to resource allocation, focused on efficiency and essential services."
The lifeguards' highly inflated pay was originally investigated by watchdog group OpenTheBooks.com in 2019, when the group found that lifeguards in Los Angeles County earned wages high above the national average, the Daily Caller reported.
The report also found that the lifeguards enjoy lucrative early retirement and health benefits, hefty overtime pay, and leadership taking home hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Several outlets covered the initial report, including the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Forbes, and Fox, yet the watchdog group found that five years later the inflated lifeguard salaries continued to drain LA taxpayer resources.
An updated 2024 analysis from the watchdog group found that 134 lifeguards earned at least $200,000 in 2024, including benefits, while 34 of the highest earners received $300,000 in compensation packages, as noted in OpenTheBooks' new report.
Approximately $70.8 million was paid out in 2024, which also includes base pay, overtime pay, and "other pay" among other benefits.
Lifeguard Services Chief Fernando Boiteux received $523,351 in total compensation, including base pay, additional pay, and benefits, according to the report.
Over five years, the top 10 lifeguards earning the most overtime collected between $345,000 and $702,000 each, totaling a taxpayer's payout of $4,782,570 for that group of 10 since 2020.
"County lifeguards like Boiteux can retire relatively early at 50, with plenty of time to pursue other professional projects, while collecting defined pension benefits for years to come," the report states.
"Using the conservative end of the scale, at 70% of base pay, a lifeguard with Boiteux's base pay alone could continue collecting $191,849 for years to come, plus cost of living adjustments, making them potential multimillionaires when all is said and done."
In 2021, the Wall Street Journal found that lucrative payouts for LA County lifeguards were a product of non-competitive contracts and cozy union relations in the city of Santa Monica. The Los Angeles County Lifeguard Association has lobbied the county since 1995.
"In 2009 the city of Santa Monica signed a 10-year, $25 million contract with the county for lifeguard services," according to WSJ.
"In 2019, the city extended the contract for five years and $17 million. There were no identified competitors and the contract wasn't put out for bid," the report added.
Lifeguards are not the only city personnel bringing in the big bucks. A top-compensated Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective earned $603,887 in 2024, with a staggering $404,875 coming from overtime pay.
The Fire Department boasts similar numbers, with their top 10 employees each clearing over $500,000 in 2024 and a battalion chief who received $906,060, OpenTheBooks.com CEO John Hart reported in a recent investigative piece.
"Cozy public union relationships, layers of government overreach and red tape have put Californians in a hole," Hart wrote.
"Digging out will take a fresh approach to resource allocation, focused on efficiency and essential services."
2 comments:
But CA is way more cool than Galveston. And has better public employee unions.
The Chief of the Galveston Beach Patrol has been under a lot of financial scrutiny. However, this is nothing new as money has come up missing on the Island many times.
Post a Comment