# high paying paramedic jobs



## medicaltransient (Jun 27, 2015)

Whats the highest paying paramedic job you know of? 
I have always felt an obligation to help people in our society and after 9 years in EMS the feeling is persistent. However a few things scare me about this job. I dont want to be 60 years old and chugging a red bull on the way a 911 scene at 5am. I don't want to be divorced because I spend at least 1/3 of my life on a box and more realistically >72 hrs every week.


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## BOS 101 (Jun 27, 2015)

If medic doesn't end up enticing you nursing is a pretty nice field to get into
3 or 4 days a week of 12 hour shifts, pretty dam good pay dependent on where you are ofcourse, you can travel, do diff departments, cct, flight nurse etc
Not a medic so sorry im not answering your question, just a suggestion for if you want to start looking into other things
But from what I understand medics in most places don't get paid a super fantastic wage at all


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## Carlos Danger (Jun 27, 2015)

Are you talking about doing something very high paying for just a few years, so that you can put away money and retire young?

I've never heard of a real high paying 911 job, outside of some FD's. There's oil platform and other remote duty type stuff that can be very lucrative from what I understand, but I'm sure you are aware of those types of opportunities.

Edit: of course "high paying" is very subjective.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 27, 2015)

King County Medic One has an excellent compensation package.


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## STXmedic (Jun 27, 2015)

Fire-based is usually where your best pay is. If you're still close to SA, they're one of the higher paid departments in the country. Once you do your time in fire (three years), you can promote into EMS and never do Fire again.


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## TransportJockey (Jun 27, 2015)

I make in the mid 60's. The highest paying ground 911 position I have found and applied for makes 62 or so for someone with my experience. If you want money generally you'll have to live in a place where COL will eat up most of it. The places I just applied at all pay between 45-62/yr and the COL won't kill you.


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## TransportJockey (Jun 27, 2015)

STXmedic said:


> Fire-based is usually where your best pay is. If you're still close to SA, they're one of the higher paid departments in the country. Once you do your time in fire (three years), you can promote into EMS and never do Fire again.


You keep posting this.. and it keeps tempting me. But... hosemonkey?


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## wtferick (Jun 27, 2015)

Look into trauma ERs. Some hire Paramedics. Very good experience and pay/benefits.


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## DrParasite (Jun 27, 2015)

STXmedic said:


> Once you do your time in fire (three years), you can promote into EMS and never do Fire again.


promoting into EMS?  that's the opposite of what most places are.  typically, you do your time in EMS, promote to Fire, and never do EMS again.  

can you explain what the perks are of being promoted to EMS?  more pay, better shifts, better advancement, lower workload, better schedule, hire rank, what makes it a promotion?


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## medicaltransient (Jun 27, 2015)

DrParasite said:


> promoting into EMS?  that's the opposite of what most places are.  typically, you do your time in EMS, promote to Fire, and never do EMS again.
> 
> can you explain what the perks are of being promoted to EMS?  more pay, better shifts, better advancement, lower workload, better schedule, hire rank, what makes it a promotion?


I think they only work 8 days a week and the pay is better.


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## TransportJockey (Jun 27, 2015)

medicaltransient said:


> I think they only work 8 days a week and the pay is better.


I'm trying to figure out if you're being sarcastic or you meant days per month


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## STXmedic (Jun 28, 2015)

Yeah, he meant per month. Pay is better (far better if you work OT, which isn't available in Fire), schedule is better (24/72 vs 24/48), and yes, I only work 7-8 days per month (and it actually comes out to about 6 shifts per month if you factor in vacation time). Workload is much higher, though.


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## STXmedic (Jun 28, 2015)

TransportJockey said:


> You keep posting this.. and it keeps tempting me. But... hosemonkey?


85% medical... You're rarely a hose monkey


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## DrParasite (Jun 28, 2015)

STXmedic said:


> Yeah, he meant per month. Pay is better (far better if you work OT, which isn't available in Fire), schedule is better (24/72 vs 24/48), and yes, I only work 7-8 days per month (and it actually comes out to about 6 shifts per month if you factor in vacation time). Workload is much higher, though.


out of curiosity, are you able to pick up OT on the fire side? or is there no OT on the suppression side for anyone?

on a 24/72, it's be nice to do a 24 on the ambulance, have a day off, than a 24 for OT on the engine, then a day off, than back on the ambulance.  24/48s get old really quickly


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## STXmedic (Jun 28, 2015)

DrParasite said:


> out of curiosity, are you able to pick up OT on the fire side? or is there no OT on the suppression side for anyone?
> 
> on a 24/72, it's be nice to do a 24 on the ambulance, have a day off, than a 24 for OT on the engine, then a day off, than back on the ambulance.  24/48s get old really quickly


When you promote into EMS, they take away your bunker gear. So no OT in suppression. There's hardly any OT in suppression anyway, though. Most of the OT is in EMS (and no, suppression can't work EMS OT either).


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## DesertMedic66 (Jun 28, 2015)

City FF/PM jobs around my area are all in the $90k + range starting with no experience.


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## terrible one (Jun 29, 2015)

DesertEMT66 said:


> City FF/PM jobs around my area are all in the $90k + range starting with no experience.



Not cal fire lol


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## DesertMedic66 (Jun 29, 2015)

terrible one said:


> Not cal fire lol


CalFire could be on that list, if you want to work every single day of your life


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## terrible one (Jun 29, 2015)

Lol AMR could be too then if you work 30/30 days a month


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## DesertMedic66 (Jun 29, 2015)

terrible one said:


> Lol AMR could be too then if you work 30/30 days a month


Or kiss up to the supervisors and pick up a lot of shifts that pay double time.


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## terrible one (Jun 29, 2015)

Pretty much


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## COmedic17 (Jun 29, 2015)

Hahaha....high paying paramedic job...hahahaha.


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## Chewy20 (Jun 29, 2015)

COmedic17 said:


> Hahaha....high paying paramedic job...hahahaha.



There is plenty of them if you can relocate.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 29, 2015)

Chewy20 said:


> There is plenty of them if you can relocate.



Yep. There are fantastic, single role paramedic jobs out there. You just have to know where they are and you probably have to relocate. 

I still say Sussex, for the shift schedule  and the pay/benefits, coupled with the scope and unique deployment makes for one of the best jobs out there.


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## RocketMedic (Jun 29, 2015)

...but it's Delaware lol.


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 29, 2015)

One of the reasons I chose to leave. Hahaha


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## Chewy20 (Jun 29, 2015)

RocketMedic said:


> ...but it's Delaware lol.



True


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## NomadicMedic (Jun 29, 2015)

It's really a decent place, especially if you decide to live on the beach side. Lots more to do. 

However, it's most decidedly NOT a cultural Mecca. (One of the guys there couldn't wait to take me to Moes.) And the old boy network gets old quick. It's rather provincial. 

If you aspire to senior level management, it's probably not a great choice, but if you wish to move up to midlevel position and make more than a comfortable living, in a tax free state, you won't do much better than SCEMS.


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## phideux (Jun 30, 2015)

In my corner of the country here Private Transport paid better than 911 whether it was fire based or stand alone EMS, and working in the ER Trauma Center paid better than Transport. The Helicopter Pays a little better than the ER. But you ain't gonna get rich working any of them.


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## akflightmedic (Jun 30, 2015)

Come on...DE was not that bad.....I spent 2 years of my life in Dover. 

<----- CR Grad.


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## Pond Life (Jul 6, 2015)

In the UK a paramedic practitioner working in Doctor Out-of-Hours Services gets about £104,000 ($164,000) a year excluding enhanced pay for bank holidays. Thats for 4 x 12 hour shifts per week.


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## johnrsemt (Jul 6, 2015)

Check www.usajobs.gov 
I work 48 hours straight, off 5 days straight  (If I trade shifts, I can work Sunday Monday the 1st week, and friday saturday the 2nd week and have 10 days off).
Full insurance (medical, Dental and vision, life);  4.8hours a pay period (2 weeks) of sick leave, 7.2hours of annual leave.  no cap on sick leave,  Annual leave caps at 288 hours at the end of the pay year before you use or lose it.     I have over 700 hours total right now (15 weeks of leave total)


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## Shishkabob (Jul 6, 2015)

STXmedic said:


> 85% medical... You're rarely a hose monkey


To be fair, most fire agencies do 85% medical, doesn't make many of them any less hose-monkeyish.


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## STXmedic (Jul 6, 2015)

Linuss said:


> To be fair, most fire agencies do 85% medical, doesn't make many of them any less hose-monkeyish.


The point was you are doing far more medical, so if you can tolerate just a little bit of hose monkey crap for 3 years, you can switch away from Fire.


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## RocketMedic (Jul 6, 2015)

I like my job.


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## TransportJockey (Jul 6, 2015)

RocketMedic said:


> I like my job.


I like your job too. That's a nice area


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## Summit (Jul 6, 2015)

Pond Life said:


> In the UK a paramedic practitioner working in Doctor Out-of-Hours Services gets about £104,000 ($164,000) a year excluding enhanced pay for bank holidays. Thats for 4 x 12 hour shifts per week.


What is the after tax on £104,000?
What are the educational requirements for a paramedic practicioner?
Doctors Out of Hours Services = all nights and weekends?


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## Pond Life (Jul 12, 2015)

£104K before tax. Tax can account for up to 40% but if you have half a brain you ensure you're self employed and offset everything against tax. That normally reduces tax bill to less that £10,000 a year. Last year mine was below £3K.
Educational requirements - minimum of BSc Emergency Care or equivalent. It is becoming more common that the practitioner also sits the RCGP exam
Yes mainly nights and weekends. Occasional bank holidays


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## Handsome Robb (Jul 12, 2015)

Summit said:


> Doctors Out of Hours Services = all nights and weekends?




I'd work nights and weekends happily for $164,000/year.


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## Clare (Jul 12, 2015)

Emergency Medical Technician - $50-55,000
Paramedic $60-65,000
Intensive Care Paramedic $70-75,000


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## cruiseforever (Jul 13, 2015)

Starting medic - 21.50 per hour
Medic after 10 years -  32.50 per hour

Work 40 hours a week.


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## 46Young (Jul 13, 2015)

STXmedic said:


> The point was you are doing far more medical, so if you can tolerate just a little bit of hose monkey crap for 3 years, you can switch away from Fire.



"Hose Monkey" is getting a little played out. Personally, I prefer to be addressed as Ladder Legend or Saw Stallion


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## chaz90 (Jul 13, 2015)

46Young said:


> "Hose Monkey" is getting a little played out. Personally, I prefer to be addressed as Ladder Legend or Saw Stallion


I find "knuckle dragger" to be quite versatile


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## akflightmedic (Jul 13, 2015)

I think "Water Fairies" is more appropriate.  LOL


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## NomadicMedic (Jul 13, 2015)

"Recliner Riders"


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