Pay Discrepancies on EMS1, Bureau of Labor Statistics?

TeddyTheYeti

TeddyTheYeti

Forum Ride Along
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Hello Family!

I was wondering if anybody else finds it strange that the MEDIAN salary reported on many of these different websites is around $35,000 or $37,000 annually. For those of us who work in Los Angeles County, our tax returns would argue differently. I am curious how these stats are generated. Are EMTs lumped in with Paramedics? We all know the pay can be vastly different, but 911 EMTs in LA are making about $10/hr ($10.50, whatever minimum wage is here). That, my friends, doesn't even come close to $37,000 even with backbreaking amounts of overtime AND before taxes. Most of the companies I've worked at don't approve overtime (to save $) and most have also tried to get me to sign "non-compete" agreements, meaning I'm not supposed to work multiple companies. Can some of you help me end this charade so that more 18 year old kids don't go to EMT school thinking they'll actually be able to afford groceries after they finish. Just ranting here.

Thanks For Reading,

Teddy the Yeti (aka FTO L.G.)
 
TeddyTheYeti said:
Hello Family!

I was wondering if anybody else finds it strange that the MEDIAN salary reported on many of these different websites is around $35,000 or $37,000 annually. For those of us who work in Los Angeles County, our tax returns would argue differently. I am curious how these stats are generated. Are EMTs lumped in with Paramedics? We all know the pay can be vastly different, but 911 EMTs in LA are making about $10/hr ($10.50, whatever minimum wage is here). That, my friends, doesn't even come close to $37,000 even with backbreaking amounts of overtime AND before taxes. Most of the companies I've worked at don't approve overtime (to save $) and most have also tried to get me to sign "non-compete" agreements, meaning I'm not supposed to work multiple companies. Can some of you help me end this charade so that more 18 year old kids don't go to EMT school thinking they'll actually be able to afford groceries after they finish. Just ranting here.

Thanks For Reading,

Teddy the Yeti (aka FTO L.G.)
Click to expand...
Well, most of the union shop companys pay more than $10.50. AMR pays $12.44 an hour starting or around that ball park for a new emt. McCormick pays around $11 something (one of the guys can tell us the amount) Schaefer was paying a higher rate. PRN promises the world but ive heard different storys, they are now union. CARE who pays near minimum is non union. There was an attempt but it failed miserably. Where these salarys come in, is they are the salary with OT, double time and yes there are some medic wages in there seeing as Medics make $14 an hour straight pay at McCormick and CARE. Your union shops pay a little bit more. Mind you due to the new law in LA, any work done in the city of LA you have to abide by their labor laws. The minimum wage there is $11 an hour. You agree to be paid that as do many because the system is set up to feed the LAFD and LAco FD. Nobody hardly stays long at alot of companys because they go else where. Either join the FD, become RNs, PA etc. That's how they keep the wages so low. You also have alot of puppy mills in LAco pumping out EMTs every few months and limited affordable paramedic education that does not fit the wages. The system needs a complete over haul imyo. When ops shut down and a bunch of people got laid off, I left the county and ive never been happier. I work for somebody that respects me, pays me a decent wage, gives me great benefits and is somebody I would take my shirt off for. Lacounty sadly doesn't have that anymore.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk
 
The BLS website shows a mean annual wage of $36,110 for EMT's and paramedics, with the lowest 10% earning about $10.21 per hour and the 90th percentile earning $27.07 per hour.
 
It's accurate. You just work in a ****ty area that pays horrible. My starting pay as an EMT was around $35,000.
 
Even as a supervisor I am only on $12.50 an hour...
 
There was a union shop near me in Philly that started the EMT-Bs at like $20/hr. More common was 15-18 an hour starting. There's also certainly no non-compete stuff so people are free to work as many jobs as they want.

Only downside is the snow and you have to go to New Jersey to use the beach.
 
Our EMTs are making 12ish an hour here, and there's no state income tax so they get to keep more. But yes, EMTs and medics are lumped in by the BOL stats
 
I have to wonder if regional differences in cost of living are part of the story here...folks bring up big, high-cost cities and much less expensive rural areas...
Look at, for example, this depiction of wages by state from the BLS

sw292041.png
 
EpiEMS said:
I have to wonder if regional differences in cost of living are part of the story here...folks bring up big, high-cost cities and much less expensive rural areas...
Look at, for example, this depiction of wages by state from the BLS

sw292041.png
Click to expand...
NY could be.. I mean the city and state are 2 different animals however, the state adjustment for rockland county(south) is 3 grand. mid southern 1 grand, and Albany has a 2 grand adjustment, however MOST of the state pays the same. I don't really see it tbh however some people decide thats the case.
 
I can tell you Indiana is a little low if anything and in my area of the state the cost of living is much much lower than California

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
 
Yeah, just throwing the possible explanation out there. Part of the issue could also just be plain old labor supply, too.

Hard to decompose the causes without really good market data.
 
I made pretty good money in Indiana when I left in 2008: $17 an hour as a medic.

Now in NW Utah I make about $65K but that is federal;

PT job in NE Nevada/NW Utah I make $200-300 for a 48 hour shift, depending on runs. But it is paid on call so it varies. I just do that for hands on since my FT job, I had 3 patients last year
 
I make 20.50 as a per diem supervisor EMT. I make 19.00 as a system administrator for a new agency
My staff makes 17.50 and 13.50 respectively, though my startup generally agrees that once we have the capital we will bump the starting pay to $15.00

Its just where you live
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top