Need advice regarding bills

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medwannabe99

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Hey everyone, I'm signing up for an EMT basic course for this summer. I am probably a bit older than the avg EMT-B student @ 30 years old. I've been reading a few threads here in the forum. I've learned some good info and I have taken up some great advice as well. I appreciate great online communities such as this one.

I'm wondering if someone else is in a similar boat as I am, and if anyone else was able to manage what I'm trying to do once I get my EMT-B. My income as an EMT will be the only household income and therefore, the only source for paying rent/bills. My wife is a prospective student pursuing her RN (still applying). I live in Chicagoland, in the suburbs, but I am willing to travel or relocate around the area or to the city for work. We don't have kids. I've looked at job listings and I see that most EMT-B jobs with compensation that is listed state either $12/hr or $25k a year with medical/dental benefits. I plan on signing up for paramedic when I am done with the basic certification.

Is anyone else able to fully cover their living expenses from a single source of income in that range, while living in an area with comparable cost of living?

Thank you for your advice.
 
I feel like you would be better off doing EMS part time if that is the pay you are going to get to cover both of your expenses.
 
In all liklihood you would need to work 2 jobs or a LOT of OT
 
To the OP, let me just suggest that you can probably answer your question better than anyone else. You need to look at your estimated expenses and compare them to your income -- i.e., try putting together a realistic budget before you commit to anything.
 
The main reason I decided to return to EMS full time was for the benefits. I work as a medic, 40 hours a week and my wife is vet in a smaller practice that doesn't offer medical insurance. Buying catastrophic coverage on the market pace for my family was > $1000 per month. Working for a hospital based system, far better cover is < $300. Even making less money, it's a better deal.
 
Figure out what your take home will be at that pay rate. Then figure out what you would deduct weekly for rent, utilities, transportation, food, school expenses for the wife etc. Figure out what you would be left with for incidental expenses. Try to live on that much money a week for a month. I bet you'll know within two weeks whether you can swing it.

Here's a piece of advice for you. Never, and I mean never plan your life based on overtime. If you can't live on your base wages, you can't afford your life style and something needs to change. If you plan around having overtime, you're going to crash hard and fast when they pull the rug out from under you. The only exception to this is if you work in a system where you have a permenant 48hr schedule and get paid the 8 as over time. I can count on that overtime to be there every week. Maybe someday they change the schedule around to eliminate the planned ot, but the company might not survive the riots.
 
medwannabe99 said:
I plan on signing up for paramedic when I am done with the basic certification.
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Unless you work for a good service or a fire department you won't really be making that much more than a EMT. Private pay isn't generally the best kind of pay without OT. I mean who wants to work 5, 6, or even 7 days a week at times to make a decent living? Yeah, no thanks. It seems like you're in the right area with wanting to go to medic school as soon as humanly possible. Look into good services or departments that have decent pay (for the area), retirement, and benefits. Living off an EMT wage is doable, but not ideal. Even a paramedic wage as a single income can/ will be hard, but again its doable.
 
medwannabe99 said:
Hey everyone, I'm signing up for an EMT basic course for this summer. I am probably a bit older than the avg EMT-B student @ 30 years old. I've been reading a few threads here in the forum. I've learned some good info and I have taken up some great advice as well. I appreciate great online communities such as this one.

I'm wondering if someone else is in a similar boat as I am, and if anyone else was able to manage what I'm trying to do once I get my EMT-B. My income as an EMT will be the only household income and therefore, the only source for paying rent/bills. My wife is a prospective student pursuing her RN (still applying). I live in Chicagoland, in the suburbs, but I am willing to travel or relocate around the area or to the city for work. We don't have kids. I've looked at job listings and I see that most EMT-B jobs with compensation that is listed state either $12/hr or $25k a year with medical/dental benefits. I plan on signing up for paramedic when I am done with the basic certification.

Is anyone else able to fully cover their living expenses from a single source of income in that range, while living in an area with comparable cost of living?

Thank you for your advice.
Click to expand...

I'd suggest investing in a phleb class right out of NR, and starting applying for local ERs. A $25k/yr for 2 people is doable, but not in a city (the rent alone will eat up ~1/2 of your paycheck). Alternatively, what everyone else said - either work ridiculous hours, 2 jobs or have a day job and do EMS PRN.
 
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