# Paramedic moving from UK to US



## greg pickersgill (Jan 11, 2018)

Hi all, i'm considering moving from the cold and wet UK to your warmer shores. I have a degree level in Paramedic science and i'm also a Paramedic educator/mentor, i don't have any fire service qualification though. I could train as a retained fireman over here to get some basic qualification and experience if needed.

We are considering moving to Florida, we are also visiting the Disney region in July. Could anyone tell me what the job market is like over there/ salary and potential difficulties i could face brining my quals from the UK to US i.e them being recognised. I would like to remain in the frontline role of dealing with critically ill patients in the pre-hospital setting ideally.

Thanks in advance
Greg


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## Scott33 (Jan 12, 2018)

It's all about the visa and having an HCPC pin cannot facilitate one, so you would need to have an alternative pathway for immigration purposes. Unfortunately this is the usual brick wall people from the UK face.

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulaski's_Ways:_How_to_Live_and_Work_in_the_USA_

Canada isn't freezing year round...


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## greg pickersgill (Jan 13, 2018)

Hi Scott, thanks for the reply. The Visa i'm looking at (H1B) requires a job offer in the first instance so thus the reason why i'm researching the Job role and salary first. I've got a few friends that have moved to Canada but i'm afraid me and my better half are sun worshipers. We lived in a few hot places when i was in the military and would like to return to the heat again on a more permanent basis. 

It seems in the states you can either work as a firefighter/paramedic or work for a private company as a paramedic but the latter attracts less salary, do correct me if i'm wrong. I would prefer to earn more $$$ and i would fancy the mix of firefighting and poorly people. Do you guys also get a unsocial % added to your annual salary aswell?.

Over here i do 167 hours a month before OT and get about $2340 take home after tax, our OT is done at time and a half aswell and at the moment there isn't much to go around as we are now fully manned in my area.


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## MedicBender (Jan 13, 2018)

Hey Greg, 

In order to gain a job offer in the US, you'll need a few things first. Any Paramedic position will require you to have your National Registry number, your state license, ACLS, Healthcare CPR, and possible PALS. You'll also need a US drivers license. In order to get your National Registry you'll have to find a paramedic school to review your qualifications and authorize you to take the test. While the UK paramedic education is lightyears beyond the US, you'll find that some Paramedics in the US function at a level closer to the CCP level in the UK. If you're a Clinical Team Leader or similar position with your trust you may already have ALS, I'm unsure if this will be accepted in the US unfortunately. 

You're correct in that most fire departments tend to pay more. They can be very competitive though. There are state run ambulance services which pay higher as well, mostly in Texas. 

Every service here will pay you on an hourly basis. You're paid every 2 weeks, based on the amount of hours you worked, not the amount of hours you're scheduled. So if you work 14 hours on a 12 hour shift, you'll be paid for 14 hours, not 12. Unsocial hours and OT are calculated differently by different services. 

Have you considered Oz? Their system is more accepting of UK credentials and the visa process is supposedly easier.


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## greg pickersgill (Jan 14, 2018)

We have considered Oz but it doesn't quite tick all the box's for us and at the moment there's no shortage of Paramedics where we were looking in Queensland. i've got a couple of years to organise all of this yet as i'm hopefully starting a masters in September which is about 3 years long, i accept its going to be no walk in the park......nothing ever is.

Do any of you guys know of any Brit Paramedics that have successfully made the jump?


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## Scott33 (Jan 14, 2018)

greg pickersgill said:


> Do any of you guys know of any Brit Paramedics that have successfully made the jump?



On the back of an H1B? I would say most certainly not.


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