what do you get paid as a emt or paramedic?

Question

I am in school for emt and am going to push for paramedic . I hear from most people who hire paramedics they require a year of emt work, is that true? the main part of this question is what is the pay for emt and or paramedic and are you happy with your choice?

Answer 1

Starting pay as an EMT-Basic runs around $20,000 a year. Paramedics generally make $30,000 t0 $45,000 depending on what state you work in and what type of service you work for. Private services (AMR, Rural Metro, etc) pay less, and fire based services usually pay more, with hospital based and municipal based services falling somewhere in between. It's enough to make a comfortable living, but it would be hard to raise a family without a second source of income. A lot of paramedics I know hold a second part time job during their days off.

Some services really want to hire people with at least some experience (the higher paying jobs) but most private services just require a current state paramedic license, with no experience requirements. To enter paramedic school, you need to be at least an EMT-Basic (only a semester long course), and there are a few paramedic schools that require some field experience before you enroll, but most don't. I got hired right out of school, with my only experience being what I learned during my clinical rotations and internship.

I'm happy with my choice, but I wish I got paid more. It's a very stressful job, both emotionally and physically. The hours are long (24 on, 48 off is the norm), and it's nothing like what you see on TV. Most of our patients are not critical, and some really don't even need an ambulance at all. It's not everyday that you have a cardiac arrest or get to provide life saving interventions, but those days really make it worth it. I'm looking into going back to school to become an RN, not because I don't like my job, but because I want to get paid more (I'll still work as a medic at least part time!).

One thing to remember is most medics don't make it past the 5 year mark before they start looking for another job. The majority of paramedics find it too stressful to do for long...might be a good idea to think of a backup plan in case you find out that's true for you, too.

Hope this helps...

Answer 2

starting pay is around $25,000 - $ 45,000 if you stay longer, depending on the area.