Best Paying States for EMS

[emt217]

Top 10 paying states for Paramedics

Looking for places to relocate after I finish school. Any of these places even come close, or is this Fire based?

[FireMedic65]

Top 10 paying states for Paramedics

Looking for places to relocate after I finish school. Any of these places even come close, or is this Fire based?

not very accurate. lemme track down a website I used in the past that is run by the gov't and will list avg salaries by state and profession

www.payscale.com is a good site

www.salary.com

www.monster.com

Edited April 17, 2009 by FireEMT177959

[emt217]

Thank you, I would appreciate it! I currently live in WV, and would love to relocate. We have a very conservative system here, with protocols that look like they came from the early 80's. Sure, I want to make a better living, but I also want to go where I can use what I've learned.

[wrmedic82]

Just incase you are thinking about going the fire route. Just a word of advice. I would start with a 911 EMS service first and gain as much experience and knowledge as possible as a medic. Get a couple hundred calls under your belt, then make the transition. You will benefit alot more by doing this as your focus will be on EMS vs EMS/Fire which may make somethings obscure or it may not. But thats just my opinion. I know some great firefighters who practice medicine very well, and are very knowledgeable. Im still working my way there through EMTP school hopefully to be done at the end of this year. This is just my opinion.

As far as pay goes. More pay is great. However I hate to say it but most the money to be made is in fire departments. They seem to be the go-getters when it comes to grants and other means of funding.

[emt217]

Thank you sir, I appreciate the response. Actually, I dont plan on going fire route. I just know most places seem to be going fire based. I've been an EMTB for 7 years or so, heavy 911 volume. I'm hoping to go somewhere that has separate fire/EMS.

[p3medic]

Thank you sir, I appreciate the response. Actually, I dont plan on going fire route. I just know most places seem to be going fire based. I've been an EMTB for 7 years or so, heavy 911 volume. I'm hoping to go somewhere that has separate fire/EMS.

I'd look at individual services you are considering. I know in my state alone there is close to a 20$/hr range from the lowest to the highest paid. You also need to look at things like health insurance, retirement, other bennies, SSM v.s. housed, urban v.s. suburban v.s. rural etc... I wouldn't pick a state based on that article. It's a place to start, but do some homework. Good luck!

[akflightmedic]

Yeh that list is bogus.

I can debunk two of those states "wages" personally.

I am thinking they have combined the total salary and by that I mean they added the cost of benefits to the wages to show you those hourly rates. This was similar to the propaganda when the IAFF was assisting my FL FD with taking over our EMS system. They put annual salary figures of 65-80K a year as our salary to the general public, but of course that was out total benefits not our actual pay which was 34-39K annually.

In Alaska, I made 30/hour as a flight medic. There are fewer than 10 paid FDs in Alaska, and their annual posted salaries were in the 45-55K range and this was for fire medics. There was an interfacility ambo in Acnhorage and they paid less than 20/hour/

In Delaware, the medics hourly rate is 17-24/hour. I know this because I have interviewed there and considered going there at one point because I like the ALS fly cars they use.

[FormerEMSLT297]

I can tell you from personal experience that Maryland as listed, is artificially high...

Most places in MD are paying between 15-20,, some privates are paying 25 if you like that type of work..

The ONLY ones that are paying $29. are fire based systems where your actual title is FF-EMT-P.....

I think they are getting these figures by averaging out the career firefighters some of whom are making 60-70K and the small depts. where the medics make 10-15 per hour... and coming to this artificially high number

Edited April 17, 2009 by FormerEMSLT297

[fiznat]

We should have this kind of database here at EMT-City

[emt217]

I really appreciate all the responses so far. I already figured the numbers would probably include benefit packaging, and maybe even so far as to include certain levels of tuition reimbursement. A bigger selling point to me is the actual in-hand income vs. cost of living. I know here in WV, I can buy a newer home for less than $65,000, but i'll also top, TOP, out at around $10.50 hr as a medic. $14-$15 if I have my State CCT Cert. I;ve been leaning strongly towards Maryland, Texas, Louisiana (oil rig perhaps?) and NC, with a real interest in Wake Co. EMS. I've been doing some research on Wake Co., and while it's just an opinion, they seem to have a nice balance of pay, benefits, and aggressive protocols. My brother lives in Asheboro, which is only a couple hours away, but he tells me I can find affordable living halfway between him and the Raleigh/RTP area. I'd like to hear from some of you that may work/ have worked in these areas. I don't mean to keep throwing so much out, but I'm pushing 37, so I wanna make the most effective move I can when I do. I want to get alot of the homework done ahead of time. I've seen a few friends that went from EMTB to EMTP, hit the road, and come back 6 months later because they didn't take the time to ask.