FutureEMT92

So im about to graduate highschool in june of 2010. I plan on being an EMT eventually Paramedic. But i was wondering about things like pay, benifits etc. I dont really feel like making 10 dollars an hour, i want to have a decent lifestyle. I've heard some EMT's make 20 to 30 dollars an hour. How do I do that? Is it better to work for a private or city service? Do citys pay more than rural/suburbs? Basically just some basic info on EMT benifits like salary, health, etc. Thanks