What do you get paid?

[Ghost-Tech]

well depends on location---in New York when I work as a medic I get 29.71/hour

[nwoparamedics]

In Ontario for example I believe there in a legal MINIMUM paramedics must be paid for an hourly wage. I think it is ~$25 an hour. So $25 an hour and living in a more rural/outside of a major center = neck full of bling bling.

Actually there is no legal minimum... except for the provincial minimum wage under the ESA.

From a old timers prospective (and only one persons view from the remote part of the province, so take it with a huge grain of salt):

Most of the wages increases over the past few years in Ontario have come from the changes the Government made to education and operational standards in and around the year 2000/2001. In short, the government changed the legislation to state that all communities providing EMS had to have qualified staff on each ambulance with exceptions being made for the first few years to allow one qualified, one student if no others could be found.

Once the changes had begun to be implemented, providers across the province experienced a shortfall of qualified medics, the colleges got next to no notice (with the government finally granting the request to change from a 3 semester to 4 semester program at this time didn't help the crunch either) and couldn't fill the demand right away, and thus the wages shot through the roof.

The government also introduced legislation at the time to combat the huge rate increases the employers were going to see (the ambulance services collective bargaining act), although by the time most areas got the chance to go in front of an arbitrator, it was pretty much the case of "the neighbouring community is making how much... and you are expecting to recruit staff by offering $10/hr less???).

The trend we saw with the huge wage increases is definitely subsiding at this point in time, as well as the shortages of staffing.

Do I think we are getting paid to much as Paramedics? Not a chance...

When it comes to a comparison of our allied agencies... Police, Fire (heck, our volunteer FF stipends are what my old full time wage used to be) and Nursing still make more than we do. For that matter, my sisters first year of teaching grade 7-8 students... she made the same as me (working now on my 18th year in EMS).

But... when I look back at where I started.. $20/call and $1.40/hr on call as a volunteer in the 80's.... $12/hr once qualified in the early 90's... yea... it kinda shocks me still to make $30/hr now

But then again for the same wages now... I can go sweep floors in a mill, assemble parts in a factory, haul wood in the bush for the same amount... but that wouldn't be any fun .. think I'll stay happy where I am.

[mommaparamedic]

OMG! Thought I was doing good. I make $14 an hour working for private service and $22 hour working for the college. I do know that alot of the private companies in my area are just now paying the following:

basics-$11

intermediates-$12

paramedics-$13

Some dont even pay that. But as someone else said I love what I do so the pay is not a huge factor for me.

[chicagoambo]

We get paid well in the city but most suburbs don't get crap plus they work alot more days than us!We work the 24-72 its the best,we average 84 days of 24 hour shifts on duty,even more if you have seniority

[bullmedic]

You can see our pay scale here. http://brgov.com/dept/hr/emsdetails.asp What it does not include is built in overtime of 8 hours every 2 weeks. First year here you should make a minimum of $37000/gross without a day of overtime. The range is: 15.94 to over $22 but only new hires with less than 6 months make step one. You are step 2 after 6 months and you will make step 3 within about 9 months after that. I made $60,000 last year working a 42 hour work week. 48 in week one and 36 in week 2.

[Parapup]

I'm with you baasmedic. My service starts at 11.00. We cap at like 17.00. Damn...33.00 thats nice!!

[Juilin]

EMT-B in Seattle, Washington. 12.00/hr. Fairly average around here.

[BrothaKyzer]

I work in Houston TX and get 12.50/hr as a basic. This is my first job and got my cert about a month and 1/2 ago.

[MrWig]

Shoot, in Louisiana as an EMT-Basic im making a whoping 9-10$/hr depending on what truck i work. Last year i got awesome pay w/ the same company at 6.50 an hour on a 24 hour truck. Let's hear it for katrina relief!!! wohooo

Doesnt really matter until wendy's pays 12$ hr in teh same area

[TLC EMS]

don't they take half of your income for taxs in Canada? So that means you make about 15 dollars an hour right?