usafmedic45
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I'm guessing that it's probably LA or somewhere else with an exorbitant CoL index.
EMT'Bs and minimum wage
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usafmedic45
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It depends on the cost of living. If you live out where my parents live at and you can get a two bedroom house for $70,000, it's a damn good wage. If you're in Chicago and an apartment will run you over $1000 a month it's suddenly not so great.
ExpatMedic0
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I worked for UPS while I was going to school and the driver I worked with made $25.00 an hour but he had been with the company for almost 15 years.... I am guessing drivers cap on that, at least in Portland.
If there are any EMT-B's who work for a private ambulance(not fire department or municipal employees) and make $25.00 an hour I would love to hear form them right now, or someone to point to a website or something.
If that is true, its certainly not the median wage but I would still love to see who pays that.
ExpatMedic0
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http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/community/ems_salary_benefits_042607.shtml
New york is one of the highest (if not the highest) cost of living in the united states.
FDNY EMS is a municipal agency, a fire department and after 5 years there EMT's are not even making 25 an hour. So if AMR or Rural Metro or another private company is paying more than that wage somewhere else, it would be a big step I guess.
New york is one of the highest (if not the highest) cost of living in the united states.
FDNY EMS is a municipal agency, a fire department and after 5 years there EMT's are not even making 25 an hour. So if AMR or Rural Metro or another private company is paying more than that wage somewhere else, it would be a big step I guess.
After five years, Im sure after twenty years their making close to if not exceding that and the NYC hospital based systems are paying significantly more.
The funny thing is after five years FDNY firefighter with fringe benefits is making one hundred thousand dollars a year and a the paramedic is making half that and the EMT is making sixty thousand a year less.
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TraprMike
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what do you expect for a 3 month class???
Hmm..
Are there any other Vollys out there? In my county its a 5 month course, the most intensive in my state. While I know my place when it comes to the other levels of EMS, I don't think there is anything to be ashamed of being a B. EMT-B does not always equal "just a driver".
Since I am a volunteer I don't have to worry about wages earned. Good thing because they couldnt afford to pay my OT
We do have private ambulance services, taxi from one hospital to another, and they make more than minimum wage if you are a B and a Driver.
If you have major hospitals around you, get into a Phlebotomy Training class and then you are more marketable as a Tech at a hospital.
Are there any other Vollys out there? In my county its a 5 month course, the most intensive in my state. While I know my place when it comes to the other levels of EMS, I don't think there is anything to be ashamed of being a B. EMT-B does not always equal "just a driver".
Since I am a volunteer I don't have to worry about wages earned. Good thing because they couldnt afford to pay my OT
We do have private ambulance services, taxi from one hospital to another, and they make more than minimum wage if you are a B and a Driver.
If you have major hospitals around you, get into a Phlebotomy Training class and then you are more marketable as a Tech at a hospital.
Sandog
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I would rather stick a pencil in my eye and swirl it around.
Everything that could be said already been said. When anyone with in a short period become emt a low wage should be expected. Yes it's very sad that you life might dependent on the skill of the minimum wage worker. A lot of people have eye's opening when they find out how much emt's make an hour.
ExpatMedic0
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I am not sure where your getting your information. But according to the FDNY website which publicly post salary information a Paramedic(non fire fighter) tops out in 5 years at $59.079 and a firefighter at $76,488 for base salary. An EMT-B is After 5 Years $45,834. It does not provide any additional information regarding how much fringe benefits the Paramedic or EMT gets, only that the salary quote is a base salary and does not include fringe benefits in that amount.
Also, why will you not tell us where an EMT-B can make $25 an hour at a private company? I might believe an NYC hospital based system could pay an EMT-B that giving the cost of living in NYC.... but I am still interested to hear where this is offered.
DrParasite
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a friend of mine works for a private company doing 911s, gets no benefits (she refuses to pay for horrible benefits), no PTO, no sick time, no guarantee of 40 hours. and I think she makes $9 an hour.
I hate to be nosey, but I really do want to know where you work. I understand your desire for secrecy, but the only concrete jungle I know of is NYC, and you have said you don't work in NYC. I will tell you where I work if you want to do a PM.
surplus, yes. not worth paying more? ehhhhh...
my PT job starts EMTs around 15/hr (for inter-facility transport and 911). my FT job starts around 18 or so an hour, all urban 911 calls. at my FT job, EMTs can do between 12 and 20 jobs in a 12 hour shift. to say that our crews work for their money is an understatement.
per diem medics start at 31/hr, FT medics are $25 I think.
One thing to keep in mind about low wages: EMS is often considered healthcare, not public safety. in public safety (FD/PD) you are often tax based, and being a monetary black hole is accepted. In addition, downtime is permitted (back to the whole monetary black whole concept).
EMS very often needs to make money. managers, esp private ones, don't want units sitting around costing them money if they aren't going to calls (transporting pt's the hospital). so they don't staff any more units than they actually need. so if you have a lot of downtime, you will often make less $$$. if you work your *** off for 12 hrs, you will often make more $$$ (but that has it's drawbacks too). that is what happens when EMS is considered part of the healthcare system and not a true equal to fire and police in the public safety arena.
PS. FDNY EMS new hires quality for food stamps when they start. many senior people leave FDNY for better positions with the voluntary hospital based FDNY EMS system. you won't make six figures either has a medic working for FDNY EMS, despite what many think about working for a city.
Not only that, but while FDNY is probably the busiest system in the nation (overall call volume) their calls per unit is no where near as busy as you would think (no, they aren't running back to back to back jobs for 8 hrs straight).
I was commenting on the disparity between fire and EMS, I think its disgusting.
The fringe benefits I was speaking of were on the fire side.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/community/ff_salary_benefits_080106.shtml
I doubt EMT/medics top out after five years in FDNY EMS, I am sure there are COLA raises and I believe they have shift differential also.
Whether I work private or municiple isnt really important and Im sorry but I dont reveal my employer or location but we dont top out at five years its closer to twenty. I dont think twenty five dollars is an exorbitant amount of money for someone who has given twenty years of service to an employer.
And why was it ok for the UPS driver to make twenty five an hour with no training/education, no con ed, and no annual training requirements and no one questions it?
Im sorry but I dont reveal that information. Nothing personal but I am quite opininated at times best to keep cloak of secercy.
And NYC is a cake walk compared with some of the other cities in this country as far as crime per capita and not even close to the worst "concrete jungle".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate
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usafmedic45
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It's funny, because that's exactly how I feel about being an RT most nights. If it weren't for the nice paycheck....
DrParasite
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actually, I think if EMTs in busy systems top out at 50,000, that's pretty fair. just working normal hours. add another 10,000 or 20,000 for OT, and it's a decent salary for the work and education.
Medic salaries, on the other hand, are absurd. busy medics should make 100,000 a year. easily.
but also remember, if you work in NYC in an 8 hour shift, and are only seeing 3 patients, how hard is the job? some medics will see 10 pts in 12 hours. others if they see 8 in a 24 it's a busy night. So if you aren't working your *** off, you should be paid less. slower systems = less money.
Medic salaries, on the other hand, are absurd. busy medics should make 100,000 a year. easily.
but also remember, if you work in NYC in an 8 hour shift, and are only seeing 3 patients, how hard is the job? some medics will see 10 pts in 12 hours. others if they see 8 in a 24 it's a busy night. So if you aren't working your *** off, you should be paid less. slower systems = less money.
I never said it was the worst. the top three are typically Camden, Detroit, and St. Louis, and they rotate as worse in the US. Sometimes you get another wildcard (Flint, Gary, Newark, etc), but those are usually 3 of the top 5. But the only one I have heard of been referred to as concrete jungle is NYC (along with Gotham, and a couple other names that can't be repeated). and a google search didn't turn up anything elseIm sorry but I dont reveal that information. Nothing personal but I am quite opininated at times best to keep cloak of secercy.
And NYC is a cake walk compared with some of the other cities in this country as far as crime per capita and not even close to the worst "concrete jungle".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate
ExpatMedic0
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I am not saying its fair the UPS drivers make that and the EMT does not. I think its absurd how most of the country's EMT's are paid so low. My first EMT-B Job paid $8.00 in 2003 doing Emergency calls no IFT.
$8.00 to have a squeeky clean background check, driving record, and a public trust to blow red lights, speed, enter peoples homes when they are the most vulnerable, perform the best treatment plan and interventions you can with the ridiculous low amount of training and education they have provided you.
The UPS guy, the Flagger, and even many janitors are making twice as much as many EMT's with EVEN LESS training, certification and far less responsibility and public trust.
$8.00 to have a squeeky clean background check, driving record, and a public trust to blow red lights, speed, enter peoples homes when they are the most vulnerable, perform the best treatment plan and interventions you can with the ridiculous low amount of training and education they have provided you.
The UPS guy, the Flagger, and even many janitors are making twice as much as many EMT's with EVEN LESS training, certification and far less responsibility and public trust.
JPINFV
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...because the police just spend all day sitting in the doughnut shop between armed robberies, rapes, and murders? Additionally, even if it was more public safety than healthcare (but then EMS providers can't whine about how they're viewed by the health care community. No more comparing paramedic wages to nurses), any community that actually values the fact that they're spending their citizen's hard earned tax dollars would be hard pressed to increase staffing very far past the minimum needed to ensure proper coverage.
I agree we serve the public we should be under the umbrella of public safety.
True, EMS providers are more concerned about acceptance and perception by others, who cares. Its a job, if you as a nurse or a doctor and you dont accept or respect me thats fine Im not losing any sleep over it.
I dont really care what your title is I respect the MD as much as I respect the janitor. I respect people in general your personal title has little to do with it.
And there should be no comparison in wages between nurses and EMTs/paramedics, its traning versus education for the most part. No comparison.