EMT-B vs. Medic wage UNFAIR

[medicnow911]

I work for a private EMS (ALS only) company. We employ about 25 Basics and 40 Medics. We are in the midst of a war right now, because it has come to light that there are about 9 Basics that are making a significant amount more per hour than some medics. I am angry because I make $12.22/hr as a critical care paramedic and a guy who hired on the EXACT same day as I did 8 years ago is making $11.07 as Basic EMT. He had 18 years experience as a Basic when he hired but has been unable to pass a state medic test and now has decided to stay a Basic. If I didn't have my critical care cert I would be making one cent less an hour than he is right now. I don't believe a Basic EMT should ever make more than the lowest paid paramedic. We only run ALS and company policy forbids EMT-B's from attending on even a KVO IV. (so we can bill ALS charge) The medics carry the responsibility, do most of the patient care and paperwork and get paid LESS! We had a meeting with management and they are leaning towards not doing anything. They don't have the budget to raise the medics wage and will not take wages away from the higher paid EMt-B's. There is talk of freezing their wages but it still burns me. Any advice?? Don't get me wrong, I value my partner whether he is a medic or basic. I blame my management for this not my coworkers.

[Timmy]

That stupid!

Sounds like a case of: it’s not what you know but who you know…

[medic001918]

Well I can understand your frustration, don't forget that if someone has been with a service for a long time and gets an anual raise their hourly wage is going to go up. If they've had a long time as a head start, they will be close to, if not higher than your hourly wage. In time, you'll be making the big dollars. Would you stick around working for a company if they told you that you were no longer eligible for a raise because you would make more money than someone with a higher level of care/authority than yourself? My guess is probably not. You'd be ready to walk out the door. You shouldn't worry so much about what everyone else is making. You should be concerned with if you can make ends meet for your family on your salary.

While basic theory is that a medic should make more than an EMT, people should be rewarded for longevity. Is it fair to my supervisors that as a road medic I have the opportunity to make far more than they do per year (they are salary)? After all, they are in a position of higher power and assume a larger role of responsibility? It's just how it is. If you're unhappy, maybe you need to find a new job that has policies and procedures more in line with your views?

Shane

NREMT-P

[JPINFV]

Do you guys get any differential pay? Basics at my company can start out at 12/hr ($10 starting + $1 differential + $1 recruitment program [3 months grace period to recruit an employee, but if the employee leaves then you need to recruit a new person]). Does he work more shifts or take on any other duty? Could "experience" play a role regardless of the outcome? Unfortunately, life isn't fair at times and a higher education and/or skill set won't make you more money.

[island emt]

would you like some cheese to go with that whine?

[Timmy]

I do believe this is a legitimate point. I know there would be a massive stink up if advanced first aiders (EMT) got paid higher than medics. Medics in my state have worked their asses off for their 3 year degree where advanced first aiders do an 11 day course then a few other courses here and there. I would be fuming if a first aider was getting higher than a medic especially if you’re CC. But saying that I’m sure and have heard of some industrial first aiders who work on a wealthy gas line or mine would be getting mega bucks and then again America is different from Australia.

[OzMedic]

Well I can understand your frustration, don't forget that if someone has been with a service for a long time and gets an anual raise their hourly wage is going to go up. If they've had a long time as a head start, they will be close to, if not higher than your hourly wage. In time, you'll be making the big dollars. Would you stick around working for a company if they told you that you were no longer eligible for a raise because you would make more money than someone with a higher level of care/authority than yourself? My guess is probably not. You'd be ready to walk out the door. You shouldn't worry so much about what everyone else is making. You should be concerned with if you can make ends meet for your family on your salary.

While basic theory is that a medic should make more than an EMT, people should be rewarded for longevity. Is it fair to my supervisors that as a road medic I have the opportunity to make far more than they do per year (they are salary)? After all, they are in a position of higher power and assume a larger role of responsibility? It's just how it is. If you're unhappy, maybe you need to find a new job that has policies and procedures more in line with your views?

Shane

NREMT-P

Sorry Shane, I could not disagree with you more on this issue. While longevity in a position does have some merit it should in no way override education and qualifications. Why should Joe the EMT basic who goes to work and comes home for 10 years without ever doing an ounce more study than his original course get more than someone who has been working and studying there arses off for the last 5 years so they can give a higher level of more appropriate care than good old Joe. Thinking like that is what is keeping the US EMS system in the dark ages and needs to change. By that logic the old enrolled nurse (or whatever the US equivalent is) that never bothered to up-skill deserves to earn more than a university educated registered nurse. Under that system there is never any incentive to continue with education because it will not receive any more recognition than if they just do nothing and wait for the years and pay-rises to tick by.

[medic001918]

We can agree to disagree and I'm okay with that. But once someone that is a medic now has as many years in as some of these other people, then they'll be making more money without continuing the education process. It's just the nature of the animal so to speak. My past partner was an EMT with 22 years in on the job with the same service and his pay was just under what mine was. I didn't complain that he was so close to me. I understood that if I had 22 years in on the job as a medic, my pay would be vastly superior to his. His time on the job was an equalizer; not in terms of skill, education or otherwise but strictly in pay. If someone sticks with the same service for all of those years, they'll be making the "big" dollars. So let's ask another question; should there be a cap on how much someone can make in a given position (so that they forego an annual raise once they've hit the peak)? That would prevent an EMT (regardless of experience) from ever making more than an entry level medic?

The nurse used in your analgy would most likely be making more money than a newly graduated nurse (regardless of additional education) had that same nurse stayed w/the same hospital for the amount of time. The incentive would be that a newly graduated nurse might start at a better base pay than the "old" nurse with the understanding that their pay would increase on a sharper scale. Once they have the time in, they would be making the money as a 10 year medic than a 10 year EMT due to their base salary being higher than that of an EMT to start with.

Shane

NREMT-P

[OzMedic]

In my service years in position has no bearing on hourly rate. A newly graduated ACP earns the same amount as the 20 year veteran and both will earn the same increases every EBA (three years). The only way to earn more is to upgrade clinical education or go into management. This is fairly typical across Australia within professional employment. The problem with pay for years of service is that limits your transferability. Put yourself in a managers position, how can you attract senior medics from other services if they have to start on a lower level of pay than someone with less experience/qualifications than them. It does not promote our quest to be professionals with transferable qualifications. As for the nurse in my analogy, she should and would not be earning more money than the new graduate because she is practicing at a lower level regardless of her years in service which is how it should be.

[paramaniac]

Those hourly rates are very poor guys, can you have a decent standard of living as a medic?

My hourly rate is approx $30, & I'm always broke :oops: