How do SO Cal EMT-B's afford to live down there.

COtoWestAfricaMEDIC

COtoWestAfricaMEDIC

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So just wondering how you guys/gals pull it off working and living down there (medics too unless you guys are fire). Do the EMT's live with parents or friends? If the average EMT making 11 an hour (high end so I hear) working 40/hrs a week, coming out to $ 1,840 a month, before taxes. How can you live on that if a 500 sq foot studio is running 1,800 to 2,000?
 
A lot of EMTs work a decent amount of OT and/or have another job. Also living with other friends (usually EMTs or medics also).

A lot of people commute from smaller less expensive towns.
 
Makes since, my brother lives up in Breckenridge, and is a ski bum, and lives in a 4 bedroom house, that rents for 3,500/month and there are 10 guys rotating and "hot bunking" through there.
 
Pay isn't that great unless you get on with fire. Cost of living can be pretty high. Luckily I am in a smaller city so the cost of living is lower.

The protocols in most of CA are not amazing but I'm not going to be leaving anytime soon.
 
COtoWestAfricaMEDIC said:
So just wondering how you guys/gals pull it off working and living down there (medics too unless you guys are fire). Do the EMT's live with parents or friends? If the average EMT making 11 an hour (high end so I hear) working 40/hrs a week, coming out to $ 1,840 a month, before taxes. How can you live on that if a 500 sq foot studio is running 1,800 to 2,000?
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I wouldn't call where I currently live as SoCal, but when I did live in SoCal I rented a one bed/one bath apartment (500 SqFt) for $675/mo and still had money to make ends meet.
 
cool, that's not to bad, my prices must have been in 90210, that's about on par for the ghetto in Denver. Average for a middle class area, one bed room will run you 900 to 1000 in the metro. But for the 675/month will get you 800-100 Sqft
 
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For $1800-$2000 you can rent a 3+ bedroom 2 bed house in a nice neighborhood here
 
Riverside/San Bernardino county
 
A lot of EMTs, even in LA and OC, live in the Inland Methpire.
 
So are all you guys down for the Obama min wage hike. 9 I think or 10 bucks, is the lowest they can pay you under Cali law. Where I started out as an EMT/Fire fighter back in 2003 for R/M down in Tucson AZ, I started at 8.10/hr, when I left in 2008 with my medic I was up to 11.50/hr.
 
COtoWestAfricaMEDIC said:
So are all you guys down for the Obama min wage hike. 9 I think or 10 bucks, is the lowest they can pay you under Cali law. Where I started out as an EMT/Fire fighter back in 2003 for R/M down in Tucson AZ, I started at 8.10/hr, when I left in 2008 with my medic I was up to 11.50/hr.
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A wage hike to what people want ($15/hr) will lead to an increase in price for everything. So no IMPO
 
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When I did my ride-alongs with McCormick in LA, most of the EMTs I met had long 1-2+ hour commutes and/or lived with parents/friends. McCormick's 24-hour shifts (or more, if you swap shifts with other people) make that a bit more practical.

But, it's a sad reality that fast food and retail employees often get better pay than non-fire EMS workers... and are asking for even more.
 
I make 19+ an hour as a private service medic and have no state taxes. Ya'll need to move hah. Our I's make 13ish starting. All a 48 hour work week.
 
COtoWestAfricaMEDIC said:
cool, that's not to bad, my prices must have been in 90210, that's about on par for the ghetto in Denver. Average for a middle class area, one bed room will run you 900 to 1000 in the metro. But for the 675/month will get you 800-100 Sqft
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The ghetto? My friends that live in Denver all pay at or less than 675 (pre utilities) and have nice spots in good neighborhoods (cap hill, wash park, congress park). Granted they have roommates but still I don't find that unreasonable.

I cannot imagine making those wages with socal's cost of living, I make about the se now but being in Colorado Springs means I'm saving money.
 
Tigger said:
The ghetto? My friends that live in Denver all pay at or less than 675 (pre utilities) and have nice spots in good neighborhoods (cap hill, wash park, congress park). Granted they have roommates but still I don't find that unreasonable.

I cannot imagine making those wages with socal's cost of living, I make about the se now but being in Colorado Springs means I'm saving money.
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I just moved out to Lakewood to get around that problem. When i lived up there me and a roommate split a two bedroom that was really nice for about 850 a month
 
That's not to bad. I bet out in the sticks of Texas and NM that gets you a 3 bed room ranch with a few acres of land.
 
TransportJockey said:
I just moved out to Lakewood to get around that problem. When i lived up there me and a roommate split a two bedroom that was really nice for about 850 a month
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I live in a good sized, less than 10 year old house with four bedrooms. Each of us pays about 470 a month. I may never leave the springs.
 
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