Salary

Man, I WISH my agency paid me $10 an hour. Or at least let me work OT... Lots of OT. .. Sooo much OT.
 
Even though the education and entry level requirements for EMT are low (way to low) there are plenty of uneducated factory workers and people doing jobs other than McDonalds which pay quite well. Garbage men and Delivery couriers(like UPS and FED-EX) make out pretty good. My friend only has a GED and shes working for the post office making more than some Paramedics. It is not required for police officers or fire fighters to have a degree(depending on your area) and they normally make more than Paramedics with degrees. Even RN's still can graduate with out a degree and practice in some states. Although the number of diploma nurse programs are quite low compared to degree ones( and I am sure the nurses will be quick to remind us of that. ;-) )
While I am an advocate for advancing EMS education, including degrees, I do not believe its the only stand alone answer to raise wages.
A prime example of that are teachers.
 
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ExpatMedic0 said:
Even though the education and entry level requirements for EMT are low (way to low) there are plenty of uneducated factory workers and people doing jobs other than McDonalds which pay quite well. Garbage men and Delivery couriers(like UPS and FED-EX) make out pretty good. My friend only has a GED and shes working for the post office making more than some Paramedics. It is not required for police officers or fire fighters to have a degree(depending on your area) and they normally make more than Paramedics with degrees. Even RN's still can graduate with out a degree and practice in some states. Although the number of diploma nurse programs are quite low compared to degree ones( and I am sure the nurses will be quick to remind us of that. ;-) )
While I am an advocate for advancing EMS education, including degrees, I do not believe its the only stand alone answer to raise wages.
A prime example of that are teachers.
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The overnight cleaning crew at Six Flags great Adventure made the most money of any non-salaried employees. They come in when the park closes and clean the whole place top to bottom before the park opens the next day. Basically no requirements other then being able to pick up trash and clean, but they were making like $30 hr
 
Chupathangy said:
Man, I WISH my agency paid me $10 an hour. Or at least let me work OT... Lots of OT. .. Sooo much OT.
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Wait...you don't even make 10/hr?

I thought I had it bad at 16.35 an hour with all the OT I can handle if I want it... I'll quit complaining.
 
Robb said:
Wait...you don't even make 10/hr?

I thought I had it bad at 16.35 an hour with all the OT I can handle if I want it... I'll quit complaining.
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Per hour pay is all relative depending on where you live. I think my $22/hr is measly compared to the $30+/hr some RNs are making until I realize how much higher the cost of living is in those places. But I did feel like a Baller the first time I saw my OT pay rate :cool:

I would not be surprised if some EMTs around here made $9ish/hr. I made about $10/hr as a tech during nursing school and I was able to get by and pay my bills working ~30hrs a week.
 
It's all about how you plan it. New grad RNs start at 55hr in the area I work. Just commute in from a cheaper area then where you work

Or even better go in with a few other and rent a cheap place to stay during you rotation

Some of our medics do the same and fly in for their rotations
 
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Per diems don't have it too bad at my second job (IFT)- EMT's $15/hr, medics $20/hr, $2/hr evening diff, $3/hr night diff, $1/hr weekend diff, and 5% bump for having dual state certification. This is in and around Winchester, VA far enough away from Northern VA to justify a lower pay scale.
 
I used to work for Charleston County EMS in SC as a medic back in 2007-2008. They paid starting medics just shy of $38k/yr on a 24/48 schedule (or 12 hr 3 on 2 off, 2 on 3 off). After six months we were eligible for promotion to crew chief, with a new base of around $45k/yr. They were very demanding, and I couldn't for the life of me, figure out why this was the case when they were paying medics between $11.75 and $13.75/hr (roughly). I now have my answer. At the very bottom of the link below is a link called "fire pay plan." This is the pay scale for the City of Charleston Fire Department.

http://www.charlestoncity.info/dept/content.aspx?nid=1748

A basic firefighter without any college starts at a mere $30,464.55/yr, with maybe another $1000/yr in FLSA pay. That's just under $9.25/hr. Ten dollar an hour EMT's actually do better then Charleston City Firefighters, provided they also have a pension and decent medical benefits. A brand new Charleston County EMS medic makes as much as a Charleston FD Captain. As a rookie up here, I was making more than a Charleston Fire Battalion Chief with an Assosciates degree ($70k including all differentials). Basically, if you can get hired at a Third Service for as little as $45k/yr, you're doing better than a Charleston City Fire Captain. The Southeast is great to visit and to live in, but they don't generally don't pay squat.
 
I agree with a previous post that said that if these EMS classes are made harder, we could weed out a lot people. My EMT B class was a joke, as I assume most are, anyone who paid passed. The EMT P class at the same school kept lowering its passing rate to get more students to pass, (more money for the school).

I have a good paying job now, but I highly dislike it. It is in a hospital, not in EMS and not providing any patient care... I am chomping at the bit to get back onto an ambulance. Being happy with your job can make a huge difference in your life. I worked for a few years as an EMT-I internationally, I got paid peanuts, but loved it and would do it again in a heartbeat, I will do it again.
 
Robb said:
Wait...you don't even make 10/hr?

I thought I had it bad at 16.35 an hour with all the OT I can handle if I want it... I'll quit complaining.
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You're a paramedic, he's an EMT. I apologize if you already noticed this.

EMT's at my job make $12.50, while paramedics make $20 but we also live in one of the more expensive areas in the country.
 
11.31 an hour, paid 24 hours, 56-hour fire schedule (same as 46Youngs), OT paid at time-and-a-half after 40 hours, 100% paid BCBS health care. Current base pay $38,500, down a bit from EMSA's 40,300. However, there's a one-dollar salary bump at 6 months and then again at one year. Realistically, Im still looking at 40k/year.
 
chaz90 said:
My sympathies runneth dry for some of the people in that article. Don't like your menial fast food job where you've worked for three years? Leave.
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how would you feel if this was said about your low paying job?
chaz90 said:
My sympathies runneth dry for some of the paramedics in that article. Don't like your EMS job where you've worked for three years? Leave.
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Kinda stings when the shoe is on the other foot.

if they work hard, they should be able to live on what they make.
 
DrParasite said:
how would you feel if this was said about your low paying job?
Kinda stings when the shoe is on the other foot.

if they work hard, they should be able to live on what they make.
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I'd have no problem leaving that job I wasn't satisfied with. I absolutely agree people should be able to make a livable wage off of their hard work. If quality employees leave the store though, it will provide management incentive to increase their wages. When you've agreed to do a job for a set compensation, you can't necessarily expect wages to increase just because you're not making as much money as other people. Employees have the right to leave and seek better employment, and employers have the right to pay low wages if they're satisfied with the labor they're getting for their money.

My point had nothing to do with fast food workers vs. EMS providers. I think strikes had their place at one point, but in today's world, I think there are better ways to get your position across than failing to show up at your place of work for your assigned shift at your agreed upon wages.
 
DrParasite said:
how would you feel if this was said about your low paying job?
Kinda stings when the shoe is on the other foot.

if they work hard, they should be able to live on what they make.
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Nope. Still sounds the same and fits just as well. Especially since most of the medics in those poor-paying dead-end jobs do absolutely nothing to further themselves. The money and the good jobs are there. If you don't do :censored::censored::censored::censored: to get there, I have no sympathy.
 
I disagree.

How valuable to the economy is a fry cook?

These jobs are low wage for a reason, and there is opportunity to learn new skills, a trade, become educated, etc.

Because the last few American generations were born in a land of gravy, does not mean all people of all kinds can have gravy. Harsh truth is, just because some have all, doesnt mean all have some. Some have all, some have some, and some have none.

The low wage provides an opportunity to learn job skills and advance, keeps prices down and sales up, and creates pressure to advance up or out, putting the former worker in a better economic status and creating an avenue for a another low skill worker to obtain employment. Within the organization one can advance up the fast food management ladder, but it is folly to demand low skilled workers be paid high wages, stagnating the upward process, raising overall prices, and lowering sales.

Minimum wage should peg to inflation though, and be high enough to adequately disincentivize non-work.
 
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FutureMed said:
Does it discourage anyone that you get paid as much as someone working in mcdonalds and what not? 10 dollars an hour doesn't seem so great.
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If McDonalds workers in St. Louis and Chicago have their way, they will be getting paid $15 and hour. So they will actually make more


There is a big movement and a "demand" for $15 an hour for fast food workers in the north
 
Fish said:
If McDonalds workers in St. Louis and Chicago have their way, they will be getting paid $15 and hour. So they will actually make more


There is a big movement and a "demand" for $15 an hour for fast food workers in the north
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I'm sure Bloomberg & CO. would be thrilled. Raise the wages, raise the prices and demand goes down. No need to regulate big cola when you can drop consumption by raising prices. Actually, Im faily suprised he has not taken his billions and bought up all the fast food joints in NYC.

He could have a chain called Bloomburger's.

But I reckon he's too smart to do anything foolish like that with his own money, so he just uses the taxpayer's.
 
Let them pay them $15 an hour. Wont hurt my feelings, I still take pride in what I do despite potentially making less than a fast food worker.

I dont eat that junk anyway so wont hurt my feelings when they close.
 
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