Fulltime Lifeguards Start At Mass. State Beaches, Lakes, Pools: DCR

BOSTON, MA — The real swimming season gets underway Saturday at state-run aquatic facilities across Massachusetts.

That's when the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will begin staffing many beaches with lifeguards working either five or seven days per week. Saturday will also mark the opening of the state's two wading pools in Brighton and Mattapan.

All state-run beaches opened over the Memorial Day weekend, but more than two dozen will go unguarded over the summer.

Starting Saturday, 28 beaches will feature lifeguards on most days between the hours of 10:15 a.m. and 5:45 p.m. The state has also opened 13 of its 21 spray decks over Memorial Day. The rest of those spray decks and 24 DCR pools will open on June 24 with lifeguard services seven days a week.

The state is still hiring lifeguards for the 2023 season. The jobs pay between $22 and $27 per hour, and anyone who signs up before July 1 is eligible for a $1,000 bonus.