Big Bucks for Basics

[emtx22001]

Here in Maine at the service i'm with we get $2.50 per hour on call time and $9.00 per hour while we are on a call only. We have no benefits at all. We are strictly volunteer though.

[spenac]

Well that sucks. Basics here get $13/hour, benefits and overtime.

[Marykdarling]

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.

[second_chance]

Thought that I would add my $0.02, I work out of a fire based company. I work as a "call force" employee, who is paid a flat rate of $15.14 per hour; no benefits. The pay is $15.14 for EMT-B and EMT-I, EMT-P is $15.74 per hour; no benefits. Base pay is one hour minimum.

[firedoc5]

Back in '84 I got my first full time EMS job. It was literally 24hrs. a day, six days a week. You actually lived at the ambulance building. There were between 3 & 5 full timers. My first pay check I cleared $110.00. Yes, it's not a typo. It was taken in consideration that we were being furnished housing. There were no benefits. At first there wasn't even workman's comp. until the state made it mandatory. If someone got hurt they just paid out of what was considered petty cash. You went everywhere in an ambulance. Whether it was to go eat, the store, wherever. We'd even go as far as going on dates. Whoever you were dating had to understand that if there was a call we'd have to leave them, but we'd be back. But sometime's they'd have plans with someone that if they did get left that they have someone pick them up. And when that would happen many times they'd just go to the ambulance building to wait for you to get back. Luckily they were understanding, for the most part. Several of them did get interested in EMS eventually.

I know that kind of thing is unheard of now. But that's how we operated. Later on laws changed and other things and the work hours did improve. Pay not a whole lot. In '87 me and two other's were top paid at $5.50/ hr. But there were so many of us that were so determined to become paramedics and were committed enough that we put up with it. It wasn't until I got on the fire dept. that I was finally getting paid enough to be able to have a life outside of my profession. At the fire dept. in '89 I started making $25,000/ yr. But I was being paid only $250/ yr. as a paramedic.

[Katee]

What the heck!

We're really getting the shaft in Northwest PA...

I make $7.15/hour (part time)... but I can't complain though. We have a low call volume. I've been on since 0800 and it is now 1440. We haven't had a call all day yet!

I don't know of too many services around here that pay more than $8.50 an hour for EMT-Bs.

Our medics don't make very much either. I've heard that in the central part of the state that EMS providers bring in more. Hmmm...

[spenac]

What the heck!

We're really getting the shaft in Northwest PA...

I make $7.15/hour (part time)... but I can't complain though. We have a low call volume. I've been on since 0800 and it is now 1440. We haven't had a call all day yet!

I don't know of too many services around here that pay more than $8.50 an hour for EMT-Bs.

Our medics don't make very much either. I've heard that in the central part of the state that EMS providers bring in more. Hmmm...

Yup your getting the shaft. One of the stations here that pays $13hr for basics only has 18 calls a year. It does assist other county stations but the entire county has less than 2000 calls but has 5 fully staffed 24/365 ambulances in it. 4 of those always have a paramedic and soon all five will.

[Don1977]

My company starts out between $9 and $9.50 an hour. Benefits suck, I have been here 6 years, so im not doing to bad, could make more but not compalining.

[JimH]

>>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.<<

My first Ambulance job was 1977, and paid $2.65 Hr. I got to $3.17 in 6 months. Minimum wage was something like $2.50 Hr.

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.

I finally had enough left EMS, and worked a security job to get through school.

After I got over going to work, and knowing I would be going home in 8, not 10 or 12 hours, I was in heaven working a 40 hour week and not being dead when I got off work.

The hourly pay was even higher and I found I enjoyed it more. I only regret not leaving sooner-

[JPINFV]

^

That said, looking at your occupation, you can do a lot more with an airframe and power plant license than you can with a paramedic cert. That said, my dad is kinda of a far outlier when it comes with careers based on an A and P cert.