# Bay Area/Nor Cal Paramedic Salaries



## will89 (Sep 12, 2009)

Hi there guys. I've completed my EMT-1 and I am now considering Paramedic school after gaining some experience. Could some of you share what typical Paramedic salaries are within the Bay Area? I am really interested in what base salaries are out there from Fire medics and private ambulance companies. It sounds like a lot of medics are pulling close to 100k but it seems like a lot of it is made on overtime?


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## Lifeguards For Life (Sep 12, 2009)

seems to me a good reference for potential salaries in you're area would be to contact potential EMPLOYERS in YOU'RE AREA, as opposed too an anonymous online forum. That would be the best way to know what salary you can expect given you should be compensated for years experience, education and of similiar nature. good luck

Oh and i think there are websites like salary.com where you can look up salaries, and remember that the salary is realtive to the cost of living in you're area. a 68,000 dollar sallery in NYC is not the same as a 68,000 dollar salary in memphis


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## VentMedic (Sep 12, 2009)

With the FDs you will average $65k to $85K base.  However, for the immediate Bay, anything less than $100k will be poverty level.


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## Akulahawk (Sep 12, 2009)

There can be some tremendous variability in medic salaries. Fire Departments out there will have a FF base pay and an extra stipend for the Paramedic... and they'll typically also have educational incentives as well. The private companies will have their own salary schedule set by either a union contract or by the market for them... Medics are aplenty there... so you take what you can get.


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## will89 (Sep 12, 2009)

Lifeguards For Life said:


> seems to me a good reference for potential salaries in you're area would be to contact potential EMPLOYERS in YOU'RE AREA, as opposed too an anonymous online forum. That would be the best way to know what salary you can expect given you should be compensated for years experience, education and of similiar nature. good luck
> 
> Oh and i think there are websites like salary.com where you can look up salaries, and remember that the salary is realtive to the cost of living in you're area. a 68,000 dollar sallery in NYC is not the same as a 68,000 dollar salary in memphis



Salary.com has proven unreliable and I would rather get anonymous replies from a range of working paramedics in this area as opposed to paramedic students. Companies usually don't provide salary info to just some "Joe" anyway. But, thanks for your input and Im sure you're student colleagues love your company.


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## Lifeguards For Life (Sep 12, 2009)

will89 said:


> Salary.com has proven unreliable and I would rather get anonymous replies from a range of working paramedics in this area as opposed to paramedic students. Companies usually don't provide salary info to just some "Joe" anyway. But, thanks for your input and Im sure you're student colleagues love your company.



If you want a company to provide salary info become more than just some joe. go to paramedic school. I'm sure companies are jumping at the choice to hire you as an EMT, to drive an ambulance with 120 hours of education. congratulations on passing you're EMT and goodluck applying bandaids to scraped elbows


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## Aerin-Sol (Sep 12, 2009)

http://esl.about.com/od/grammarintermediate/a/cm_your.htm


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## Akulahawk (Sep 12, 2009)

Will89... a lot of folks here that are Paramedic Students are working EMTs... and within the companies they work for that do ALS, it's not exactly a secret as to the salary range for Paramedics. 

Here's a hint: there's a LOT of Paramedics in the Bay Area that haven't found a job. There are even more EMTs in the Bay Area... Outside the Fire Service, it can be incredibly difficult to live on what a Paramedic makes in that area. You want to make money with a Private company? Become a slave to your job. You won't likely get much of a chance to enjoy your salary. You want to have a life outside of the ambulance? Your wallet will take a pretty good hit...


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## VentMedic (Sep 13, 2009)

You might ask the person who started this thread if she ever found out her wage for AMR in Alameda.

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=14749&highlight=alameda

Jobs are hard to find as the FD uses the most Paramedics.  In SF, the CCT trucks have 2 EMT-Bs and an RN.  I also believe it is like this in other areas.   A little to the north and northeast of SF you may find services other than the FD using Paramedics.  The cost of living is slightly lower but so are the wages. 

$100K might sound like a lot but in SF it will go no further than if your were living in Manhattan.


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## will89 (Sep 13, 2009)

Thanks for you're feedback. Yeah, I am starting to see that the only way to make good money with privates is to do a ton of overtime- and that is making money the hard way. It seems like a great job otherwise but the bills still need to be paid. It really only seems worth it if you can get on as a fire medic- at least for my expense scenario.


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## Akulahawk (Sep 13, 2009)

VentMedic said:


> You might ask the person who started this thread if she ever found out her wage for AMR in Alameda.
> 
> http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=14749&highlight=alameda
> 
> ...


In most of the Bay Area, CCT trucks are primarily EMT/EMT/RN staffed, unless it's a CCT-P truck, in which case it'll be an EMT/CCT-P. FD in the area preferentially hires Paramedics, however, for most of the Bay Area, AMR does the bulk of 911 ALS transport, the last time I checked. In SF, the FD does most of the 911 ALS transport. They absorbed the DPH 911 service a few years ago. It, by accounts I've heard, a culture shock for the DPH people...

Just some more info to consider.

And $100k in the SF Bay Area is NOT going to go that far...


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## VentMedic (Sep 13, 2009)

Akulahawk said:


> In most of the Bay Area, CCT trucks are primarily EMT/EMT/RN staffed, unless it's a CCT-P truck, in which case it'll be an EMT/CCT-P. FD in the area preferentially hires Paramedics, however, for most of the Bay Area, AMR does the bulk of 911 ALS transport, the last time I checked. In SF, the FD does most of the 911 ALS transport. They absorbed the DPH 911 service a few years ago. It, by accounts I've heard, a culture shock for the DPH people...
> 
> Just some more info to consider.
> 
> And $100k in the SF Bay Area is NOT going to go that far...


 
I haven't seen many or any CCT-Ps around or at least not without an RN since the ventilators (usually LTV 1200) and most of the ITF drips are out of scope of  what even each county allows for CCT Paramedics in the Bay area.


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## Akulahawk (Sep 13, 2009)

VentMedic said:


> I haven't seen many or any CCT-Ps around or at least not without an RN since the ventilators (usually LTV 1200) and most of the ITF drips are out of scope of  what even each county allows for CCT Paramedics in the Bay area.


CCT-P is pretty rare... I have seen them... but they're pretty rare. They easily can blend with the regular system units...


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