Big Bucks for Basics

[AnthonyM83]

I work for AMR and I get paid 15.07 an hour. (I work in CA) Benefits are included for all full-time employees, and I will try to upgrade when there is an available shift.

I don't know why I didn't stay in the Bay Area....

Don't expect sympathy from EMT companies in Los Angeles for the cost of living. Gerber pays $8.25 an hour, McCormick a little more. The way I see it I'm actually paying Gerber to work for them (debt, interest, gas!). Oh, and forget about benefits.

I believe Care and McCormick are both minimum wage...

[cullen]

Firefighter/EMT-B/( Volunteer) Washington The wage for all emt's, paramedic's is at least to say a shame. We as profesionals need to try and push our wage higher, a laborer on a state job makes close to $30.00 an hour if he has a bad day maybe he will have to sweep the floor, if we have a bad day people die. If we don't start now to raise the bar it will always be low.

[JimH]

>>you can do a lot more with an airframe and power plant license than you can with a paramedic cert. <<

Not when I started, the aerospace companies were laying off constantly, and every arguement for staying in the medical/EMS field had to do with job security.

The short answer for why they pay so low is because they can- as long as they can get people to take it at those payscales and work the long hours, it won't change- inspite of raising professionalism, and educational standards (when EMT replaced First Aid certificates, bring in AED etc.) the standard of pay really has not changed very much since I started, but all the complaints remain.

>>if we have a bad day people die<<

Ditto for my job, two years ago, about two hours after completing an inspection on a plane, and returning it to service, it went down, killing the pilot- it was ruled %100 pilot error (improper proceedure, bad weather), but I still remember him, and the feeling I had and am thankful that I had no concerns about the safety of anything on the plane when it was returned to service.

Many jobs can have very bad outcomes if not done properly-

[firedoc5]

I think when the phrase "Over worked & under paid", they had EMS in mind. :protest:

[snoopy911]

My fire company (right outside of philadelphia) starts its basics out at $14/hour (+ benifits for full time). Our hospital based medics start out at around $22/hour +benefits. they are 12 hour shifts. i also work as an ER tech. make 19.50$/ Hour +benefits. (not including any shift differential or experience pay). my Ex in SC makes $6.75 an hour for 24 hour shifts! what a difference!

[wolfden1221]

I think that is avg. I guess it depends on where you live and the duties. I lived in wy. and made 6.50 hr as a basic, I now live in AZ and starting pay for a basic is 14.00 hr.

[sassy_emt]

I am in western Pa and agree...the wages here are some of the lowest I have ever heard of from anyone..... I work for a small company just north of Pittsburgh and I am only making $8.49 an hour, considered part time and have no benefits. The irony of sorts is that we contract for transports from a major hospital chain in pittsburgh. I am going back to medics school in a coupe of months so my pay will increase but that is not why I am going back...I want the ability to provide my patients the best prehospital care I can.....

It may be insanity to say this but let's face it....no matter where you are at geopraphically or certification wise....We are a truly under paid and under appriciated field......we lift and carry as much as heavy construction workers....run the risk of being called to testify in a court of law .........place our lives and our mental health in danger every time a tone drops for us to go.....and yet we still do it with a smile on our faces ( in front of the patient if no where else) and if asked if we would do it again tomarrow say ....YES!!!!!!

I agree that as a whole those in the EMS fiel should be paid better than we are......but unfortunately in some places (like here in western Pa ) you need a union in your company to get that pay.....

[Dustdevil]

It amazes me, in 1990, I worked for a service in LA/Orange County for $8.75 Hr. The pay was higher than most then but reading this, it has not improved at all.

Yep. Supply and demand. When you have a dozen schools cranking out hundreds of new, wide-eyed EMTs who are more than happy to work for free just for the chance to play with the siren and get on an FD waiting list, there is no way wages will ever go up.

[FireMedic65]

Isn't there a way I can just make big money and do nothing... you know.. like a nurse?

haha jk all, I'm bored

[soccer35]

Yep. Supply and demand. When you have a dozen schools cranking out hundreds of new, wide-eyed EMTs who are more than happy to work for free just for the chance to play with the siren and get on an FD waiting list, there is no way wages will ever go up.

Truer words have never been written

Of my EMT class of 30, there were THREE of us that wanted to work in medicine in some degree, the rest were all FD wannabes.

Which is fine, but the class is geared more towards those that want to punch something off on the FD hiring list, and not for those that really want to learn something

That being said as a Basic I make $12.33 an hour. Thank god I found another full time gig that pays a ton more and lets me use the barebones medical knowledge I have. Otherwise I'd have to give up.

It's a shame really that it makes it hard for people who really want a career in this field, the current system of needing your Basic first is indeed a hinderance