# Southern California Pay Rates as of 4/17/19



## AlexTheChamberlain (Apr 18, 2019)

All wages stated are the starting paramedic pay for each division and company. I called HR directly on all of these, with the exception of Riverside County. 

San Diego: $19.20 (12 hr) $15.00 (24 hr)

Mercy San Diego: $15.00 (all rates)

Imperial is still too messed up right now. All I know is Gold Cross was approx $12.00 (24 hr)

Victorville: $17.07 (12 hr) Approx $13 (24 hr)

Rancho/Redlands: Never got an exact, but appears to be just less than Victorville. 

*Riverside County rates are per the recruiter not HR* 
Hemet: $14.74 (12 hr)

Palm Springs: $14.74 (12 hr)

Riverside: $16.60 (12 hr)

Ventura AMR: $15.00

Ventura Gold Coast: $15.20

Santa Barbara: $18.49 (Day 12 hr) $21.86 (Shift starting after 12:00) $14.73 (24) 

San Luis Ambulance: $15.58 (Mostly just 24's) $19.01 (12 hr)

Liberty Ambulance Ridgecrest: $13.00 (all rates, but they do 72/96 and 96/72) 

Hall Ambulance: attached wage matrix (They were the most forthcoming and were the nicest about gathering this info)


Overall I had the best experience talking with Santa Barbara AMR, San Luis Ambulance, and Hall Ambulance. They really really wanted to make you feel welcome, if that tells you anything about the company. A lot of the others were very "get me off the phone, I really don't want to tell you anything".


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## DrParasite (Apr 18, 2019)

So it looks like Hall does the same thing the county that I live in does, where, regardless of if you work 8s, 12s or 24s, you still make the same amount per week.  Personally, I think that's grossly unfair, because it still time you are spending away from family, so if you are assigned to a 24 hour shift, and you picked up OT on a 12 hour shift, you are paid time and a half at the 24 hr rate, not the 12.  Plus you can be ridiculously busy, or pulled into the vortex of the busier 12 hour shift areas, and get stuck.

And in case you didn't know, Riverside County is currently pondering an EMS strike..... because of unfair labor provisions by management.  Sounds like a horrible area to work

Hall has 100+ steps, which is impressive.  Santa Barbara and San Diego seem to pay the best, but it's likely they are the hardest to get into.  

If you are looking to make a real salary, I would suggest leaving SoCal.... for example, this flier has been appearing all over my LinkedIn feed:


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## RocketMedic (Apr 18, 2019)

@DrParasite , are those paramedic fly cars I see?


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## Amberlamps916 (Apr 18, 2019)

Santa Barbara does not do a differential anymore. Everyone gets either the 12/42 or 24/56 rate. They switched from a 12/48 for day shifts to 12/42 to all 12s.


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## Amberlamps916 (Apr 18, 2019)

DrParasite said:


> Hall has 100+ steps, which is impressive.  Santa Barbara and San Diego seem to pay the best, but it's likely they are the hardest to get into.
> 
> If you are looking to make a real salary, I would suggest leaving SoCal.... for example, this flier has been appearing all over my LinkedIn feed:



Santa Barbara currently has 7 vacant medic spots. The problem is that everybody either thinks it's hard to get into or hasn't heard about the area in my opinion. They are still offering a$5,000 sign on bonus.

Force hires and mandatory overtime sucks but I'll take the double time until they get fully staffed again.


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## CALEMT (Apr 18, 2019)

AlexTheChamberlain said:


> Hemet: $14.74 (12 hr)
> 
> Palm Springs: $14.74 (12 hr)



With these two divisions you have built in OT for your 12 hr shift. You get 8 hrs of your base pay ($14.74 lets say) and 4 hours of time and a half ($22.11). Anything over your 12 hour shift ie a late call or you volunteer to hold over for a bit you get double time.


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## Tigger (Apr 18, 2019)

DrParasite said:


> So it looks like Hall does the same thing the county that I live in does, where, regardless of if you work 8s, 12s or 24s, you still make the same amount per week.  Personally, I think that's grossly unfair, because it still time you are spending away from family, so if you are assigned to a 24 hour shift, and you picked up OT on a 12 hour shift, you are paid time and a half at the 24 hr rate, not the 12.  Plus you can be ridiculously busy, or pulled into the vortex of the busier 12 hour shift areas, and get stuck.


Agreed. "It's a more desirable shift" does not hold water to me. My AMR op pays full time folks on the few 24 hour cars left the 12 hour rate if they pick up OT shifts that aren't 24s at least. As a part timer on the 12 hour rate they pay me time and a half for anything after 12, so I try real hard to get on the 24 hour cars.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 18, 2019)

Addrobo said:


> Santa Barbara currently has 7 vacant medic spots. The problem is that everybody either thinks it's hard to get into or hasn't heard about the area in my opinion. They are still offering a$5,000 sign on bonus.
> 
> Force hires and mandatory overtime sucks but I'll take the double time until they get fully staffed again.



Are these rates for brand-new medics or for everyone coming into the organization?

Also, @AlexTheChamberlain , can you put the public phone numbers for the HR contacts you got?


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## Amberlamps916 (Apr 18, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> Are these rates for brand-new medics or for everyone coming into the organization?
> 
> Also, @AlexTheChamberlain , can you put the public phone numbers for the HR contacts you got?



Brand new medics. The rates are based on experience.


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## Sruiz2169 (Apr 18, 2019)

If I were to move back to Cali as an AEMT, Santa Barbara would be the ONLY place I'd look at. Traffic is not bad, great night life, awesome farmers markets, and just a beautiful city in general. Although the pay is not much more than ATCEMS in Austin, TX (my current employment) the view would be nicer.


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## Amberlamps916 (Apr 18, 2019)

Sruiz2169 said:


> If I were to move back to Cali as an AEMT, Santa Barbara would be the ONLY place I'd look at. Traffic is not bad, great night life, awesome farmers markets, and just a beautiful city in general. Although the pay is not much more than ATCEMS in Austin, TX (my current employment) the view would be nicer.



It's the entire central coast that makes it worth it for me, not just Santa Barbara City.

Carpinteria up to Solvang is beautiful. Working in the northern parts of the county gets you more call variety and you can live in SLO county (Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles are miles ahead in terms of quality of life compared to parts of California south of there).

Just the lack of traffic and extremely low crime were enough to make me move.


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## Sruiz2169 (Apr 18, 2019)

Addrobo said:


> It's the entire central coast that makes it worth it for me, not just Santa Barbara City.
> 
> Carpinteria up to Solvang is beautiful. Working in the northern parts of the county gets you more call variety and you can live in SLO county (Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles are miles ahead in terms of quality of life compared to parts of California south of there).
> 
> Just the lack of traffic and extremely low crime were enough to make me move.



I forgot about those cities.....but I agree. I was stationed at Vandenberg but never really stayed in Lompoc except for the skydiving and Santa Maria was not much to write home about either....everything else you mentioned was fun to travel to for day trip and such.

Only I dislike about living in Central Cali, State taxes and outrageous vehicle registration prices.


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## VentMonkey (Apr 18, 2019)

DrParasite said:


> So it looks like Hall does the same thing the county that I live in does, where, regardless of if you work 8s, 12s or 24s, you still make the same amount per week.
> 
> If you are looking to make a real salary, I would suggest leaving SoCal....


On paper, yes it’s supposed to amount to the same amount of money regardless of hours worked. 

Is it realistically this way? Hardly.

I make a “real” salary, don’t work anymore than I have or want to, spend enough time with my family, and want for nothing. That said, The Central Coast is indeed gorgeous.

Having never worked in CA, you know about as much as I do about NJ, or The Carolinas. I do like the NJ flycar model though. And to me, Wake EMS is still a premiere system.


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## AlexTheChamberlain (Apr 18, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> Are these rates for brand-new medics or for everyone coming into the organization?
> 
> Also, @AlexTheChamberlain , can you put the public phone numbers for the HR contacts you got?



These are all starting paramedic rates. Some companies count prior experience, even as an EMT (like Hall), others could care less. 

https://www.amr.net/home/riverside Just go to the drop down menu, and select each county or operation, and there's a contact number at the bottom of each one. Just say you're interested in the operation, and request to speak with HR or, for smaller divisions, an operations manager. The rest I just found the number on their website.


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## CbrMonster (Apr 22, 2019)

Riverside is demanding 22/hr for emt and 28 for medics starting from what I was told and the op gave a decent counter, but they haven’t said what it is.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 22, 2019)

California has different overtime laws right?


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## CbrMonster (Apr 22, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> California has different overtime laws right?



Some amr’s are different but riverside is 12 hr shifts, first 8 is reg pay last 4 is time and a half after 12 it’s double time.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 22, 2019)

Are there fire ALS responders in Riverside? Like how does it work?


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## CbrMonster (Apr 22, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> Are there fire ALS responders in Riverside? Like how does it work?


I can’t speak too much about it as I don’t work out here but know quite a few that do. There are als fire medics, but I don’t know who controls the scene or is lead medic on scene. I’v been told it’s a great area to gain some experience. But their pay currently is garbage.


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 22, 2019)

CbrMonster said:


> Some amr’s are different but riverside is 12 hr shifts, first 8 is reg pay last 4 is time and a half after 12 it’s double time.


That is not how Riverside gets paid. They are 12 hours of regular pay. After 12 they get overtime or after 40 hours per week. 

Hemet and Palm Springs (the non-Union divisions) get 8 hours normal pay, 4 hours OT, after 12 it’s double time.


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## CbrMonster (Apr 22, 2019)

DesertMedic66 said:


> That is not how Riverside gets paid. They are 12 hours of regular pay. After 12 they get overtime or after 40 hours per week.
> 
> Hemet and Palm Springs (the non-Union divisions) get 8 hours normal pay, 4 hours OT, after 12 it’s double time.


Really?? Literally was told today that they got paid the way Hemet does. That really sucks then.


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 22, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> Are there fire ALS responders in Riverside? Like how does it work?


All fire is ALS. 911 call gets both an ALS engine and ALS ambulance, either lights and sirens or no lights and sirens depending on EMD status. 

Whoever arrives first has control of patient care until a provider with a higher level of certification arrives or the transporting paramedic arrives. 

So if the ambulance arrives first they will have all control of patient care from the time of patient contact until patient hand over to the ED. If fire arrives first they will have control until the ambulance arrives at which time they must had over patient care as soon as possible.


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 22, 2019)

CbrMonster said:


> Really?? Literally was told today that they got paid the way Hemet does. That really sucks then.


Unless something has changed in the past 9+ years and I have not been informed about it. 

Riverside division has slightly higher hourly wages because they are on straight pay for their normal shifts. Hemet and Palm Springs have slightly lower hourly pay but due to the built in OT on each shift their pay is equal to Riversides.


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## AlexTheChamberlain (Apr 22, 2019)

CbrMonster said:


> Riverside is demanding 22/hr for emt and 28 for medics starting from what I was told and the op gave a decent counter, but they haven’t said what it is.


Just because they're demanding it, doesn't mean they'll get it. Honestly, I'd be surprised if they break $21 for medic. Which, even at that rate, easily makes them the highest paid in the region. I'd love to see them pull ahead after the dust settles, I'm just not getting hyped for union promises.


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## RocketMedic (Apr 22, 2019)

Any walk-in leadership opportunities out thataway?


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## CbrMonster (Apr 22, 2019)

AlexTheChamberlain said:


> Just because they're demanding it, doesn't mean they'll get it. Honestly, I'd be surprised if they break $21 for medic. Which, even at that rate, easily makes them the highest paid in the region. I'd love to see them pull ahead after the dust settles, I'm just not getting hyped for union promises.


No we all laughed at that, but shoot high and expect them to low ball you, just like selling something on Craigslist you always list it higher then you know it’s worth so when someone comes in a tries to low ball you it’s closer to what you actually want it for.


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## DesertMedic66 (Apr 22, 2019)

CbrMonster said:


> No we all laughed at that, but shoot high and expect them to low ball you, just like selling something on Craigslist you always list it higher then you know it’s worth so when someone comes in a tries to low ball you it’s closer to what you actually want it for.


Union: we want $22/hr and $28/hr
AMR: we’ll give you $14/hr and $17/hr and a bag of chips


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## CbrMonster (Apr 22, 2019)

DesertMedic66 said:


> Union: we want $22/hr and $28/hr
> AMR: we’ll give you $14/hr and $17/hr and a bag of chips


🤣🤣🤣 definitely amr’s way


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## ParamedicStudent (May 31, 2019)

Jesus, the steps in Hall. How long does it take to bump up a step?

Also. I'm a step 5 at AMR. If I transfer operations, do I keep my same step?


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## VentMonkey (May 31, 2019)

ParamedicStudent said:


> Jesus, the steps in Hall. How long does it take to bump up a step?


A while. They pride themselves on long-term employment, sometimes to a fault.


ParamedicStudent said:


> Also. I'm a step 5 at AMR. If I transfer operations, do I keep my same step?


I'm guessing it's all dependent on both your negotiation skills, and the division you're trying to transfer over to.


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## RocketMedic (May 31, 2019)

So Hall likes long-term employees- would "I want to be a professional paramedic forever here!" be a good thing to lead off with?


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## Jn1232th (Oct 9, 2019)

Question regarding Hall pay rates, do you start at step 1 automatically or do they place you based on experience?


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## VentMonkey (Oct 9, 2019)

justin1232 said:


> Question regarding Hall pay rates, do you start at step 1 automatically or do they place you based on experience?


It should be DOE.


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## RocketMedic (Oct 9, 2019)

It’s not Hall, but American quoted 18.68 an hour for a 10 year medic.


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## DesertMedic66 (Oct 9, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> It’s not Hall, but American quoted 18.68 an hour for a 10 year medic.


Ouch


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## Amberlamps916 (Oct 9, 2019)

DesertMedic66 said:


> Ouch



Santa Barbara recently hired a 10+ year medic.

$22 an hour on a 24 hour shift, $32 on a 12

In an area with very low call volume compared to the other areas mentioned.

And you can give EMTs 911 calls you deem BLS.

Not much further than Bakersfield. Also, it's not Bakersfield.

OT is unlimited. Plus they have an oil platform medic shift, which pays double-time at 12 hour rate. Those are also unlimited. People are making a killing.


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## aquabear (Oct 11, 2019)

Sruiz2169 said:


> I forgot about those cities.....but I agree. I was stationed at Vandenberg but never really stayed in Lompoc except for the skydiving and Santa Maria was not much to write home about either....everything else you mentioned was fun to travel to for day trip and such.
> 
> Only I dislike about living in Central Cali, State taxes and outrageous vehicle registration prices.


Sorry for the late reply, but before you consider moving from Texas to California, talk to the former AMR Santa Barbara medics that have moved to Texas. The pay there is good compared to other AMR ops, but the cost of living, especially in south county, is high. There are reasonably priced areas, but I'm not sure if you want to live in Lompoc or Santa Maria...

Not to mention, the scope of practice isn't great, the county medical director is less than progressive, the retirement is a 401k plan and the county is starting the process to issue an RFP for ambulance service.


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