Paramedic jobs in Washington?

[MichaelG]

Hello,

Does anyone know of any services that are hiring paramedics in Washington? I am in Puyallup but will practically travel anywhere. I have been a medic 12 years and am really taken back by how few jobs there are. Maybe everyone is happy in their jobs here? I just moved from Georgia. I am so tempted to try and work as a basic. ha

Thank you

 

[PotatoMedic]

Rural Metro, Falck, AMR, Olympic Ambulance, ALS in Yakama, Lifeline (i think) That is the short list.

 

[PotatoMedic]

Also look up prosser memorial hospital. They are currently hiring medics

 

[MichaelG]

Thank you, I have applied at most of those.

 

[Grozler]

AMR in Spokane is great. I did my internship there, you don't run second fiddle to fire like on the west side and decent people seem to be running the joint. Good rigs, equipment, protocols.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Be prepared for lousy pay, unless you are a fire medic. For example, ALS in Yakima starts their paramedics at 10.50 an hour.

On the contrary, per diem ALS at Olympic in Bremerton pays $22 an hour.

 

[MichaelG]

Thank you...I am definitely going to check out Olympic.

 

[jayfus]

What you want is Mason County Medic One. BETTER than olympic altho they are sister companies. At MCMO you are actually part of the 911 system

 

[NomadicMedic]

Landing a job at Mason County Medic One is VERY difficult. The medical director prefers to have paramedics that are homegrown from that system and it's difficult to get cleared otherwise. Medics seldom leave... And the pay, well... It just sucks.

I worked some per diem shifts there, just before I left, and had a great time. RSIed a patient, transported to the ED and a few hours later did the IFT to Harborview.

 

[Emergency Metaphysics]

I'm going to resurrect this thread for just a bit and ask those with experience in Washington to list from best pay to worst pay those services likely to hire freshly-minted paramedics from out of state. Also, any advice for those of us applying to the Washington job market?

As always, thanks.
M.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Best pay? King County Medic One.
Next best? Any west side fire medic job
Worst pay? Any private company paramedic job.

Advice? Work in a different state, unless you plan to work as a firemedic or for KCM1.

 

[Emergency Metaphysics]

Best pay? King County Medic One.
Next best? Any west side fire medic job
Worst pay? Any private company paramedic job.

Advice? Work in a different state, unless you plan to work as a firemedic or for KCM1.

Thanks for this. But let me press you on why to work in another state? What makes Washington a place to avoid?

 

[gotbeerz001]

Thanks for this. But let me press you on why to work in another state? What makes Washington a place to avoid?

Seemed like he spelled it out rather clearly... If you do not work as one of the top two options listed, the job will suck.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Seemed like he spelled it out rather clearly... If you do not work as one of the top two options listed, the job will suck.

That really sums it up. If you want to work as a firefighter paramedic, you will eventually get hired (it may take a while) and you'll make a lot of money, have great benefits and and a killer retirement. If you don't want to be a fire medic or work for KCM1, you will make lousy money, work for a bottom feeder company and have crummy benefits and, at best a 401k with a minimal match. There's better options out there.

There are other decent places to work in WA, like Island EMS, Skagit Medic One and a few others, but those jobs are very rare. I'd KILL to work at Cascade in Leavenworth, but they never hire.

 

[COmedic17]

If you lived in Vancouver Washington you could easily work in Portland Oregon or somewhere in Oregon that's decently close. Oregon pays a little bit better, but for out of state reciprocity they require you to have an Associates degree. Or you can have an active job offer and agree to obtain the Associates degree within the first couple years of hire. However no one will give you a job offer unless you have a state license......so basically you need an associates.

 

[NomadicMedic]

I know you're interested in Washington, but if you're a freshly minted paramedic, looking to flex those new medical muscles, I'd suggest Texas. Physician directed protocols, pretty progressive medicine, relatively easy to find a job…

I'd also throw Acadian out there as an option. They're always looking, pay a 10K sign on bonus for medics and you only have to stay for two years. Go work in Louisiana, get a couple years experience as a medic, pay off your bills, then go somewhere and land your career job or finish school and become an RN or something.

Before I found Sussex in Delaware, I was seriously looking at REMSA. Reno isn't that bad.

 

[Emergency Metaphysics]

I know you're interested in Washington, but if you're a freshly minted paramedic, looking to flex those new medical muscles, I'd suggest Texas. Physician directed protocols, pretty progressive medicine, relatively easy to find a job…

I'd also throw Acadian out there as an option. They're always looking, pay a 10K sign on bonus for medics and you only have to stay for two years. Go work in Louisiana, get a couple years experience as a medic, pay off your bills, then go somewhere and land your career job or finish school and become an RN or something.

Before I found Sussex in Delaware, I was seriously looking at REMSA. Reno isn't that bad.

Thanks again. It's sometimes difficult for someone who's still new to the field to wade through what are legitimate critiques of an employer and what are simply whinging and complaining from disgruntled workers. Know what I mean? I'll look elsewhere other than Washington. It's funny you should mention Texas, as it was in my Top 3 places to apply for jobs.

Anywhere is better (I think) than South Dakota and its 8 months of winter.

Cheers.

 

[NomadicMedic]

Yeah... I hear that. I love living in the sun. And no, I'm not disgruntled, just a realist. I loved living in WA. I would have loved to stay in Seattle, but I couldn't see myself working for KCM1 or as a fireman.

 

[MichaelG]

I have been a medic for 11 years. I moved to Seattle, WA to get away from the south. I lived in Atlanta, GA. I moved here in August and I just finally got a job in February with an Ambulance service. I have been working as a telemetry/monitor tech at a Seattle hospital. The struggle to find a job has definitely encouraged me to go back to school.

 

[RocketMedic]

I would sooner ram spikes through my hands than work Acadian in a decent part of Texas, and I'd rather work minimum-wage AMR than live in the Beaumont area.

If you're new, you should look at a decently busy ssm outfit.