Lifeguard jobs in the community (YMCA, Assisted Living facility with a pool, etc.) pay even better than campus lifeguard jobs and are equally hard to staff, especially in non-coastal states where kids don’t grow up with a beach culture. My m-i-l was in an assisted living facility (landlocked state) with a therapeutic complex and the pool was closed most days of the week due to lack of a lifeguard. The Director said they’d pretty much pay whatever it took to get someone for the 9-noon slot on any day of the week.
Great suggestion, Thumper.