difference in wages

[lampnyter]

Im thinking about going to medic school but im tight on money at the moment. I was wondering how much more a medic gets paid compared to an EMT. If it makes any difference i am currently in CT but will probably be moving within a few years. Thanks!

 

[Symbolic]

Where I live, the median annual base salary for paramedics is $38,567, compared to a median salary of $28,868 for non-paramedic EMTs.


Those numbers are based on private transport agencies. If you worked for a fire department as a Medic, you would be making a bit more. The cost of medic school here is around 5,000. Which to me, is financially worth pursuing.

 

[johnrsemt]

some places and companies is only a few Thousand different; others can be as big as $10-20K difference.

 

[medic417]

Hard to say because some places start both at or even below minimum wage when you factor in the non payed time they require. In rare cases you might find basics getting $15/hr while in rare cases you will find Paramedics getting $30/hr.

You will have to get specific location to get a true picture to compare.

Also do not fail to factor in the cost of living to any pay rates you do find. I live in one of the lowest cost of living areas in the USA yet I have one of the higher paid EMS only jobs there is and that's before you even factor in our great benefit package that is hard to beat in any profession.

 

[lampnyter]

lol yea i live in the most exspensive state

 

[medicRob]

Im thinking about going to medic school but im tight on money at the moment. I was wondering how much more a medic gets paid compared to an EMT. If it makes any difference i am currently in CT but will probably be moving within a few years. Thanks!

Around here about $9 difference per hour, depending on years experience and whether one is a Critical Care medic or not.

 

[46Young]

"It's all about the best retirement." A wise man once told me this, and it's very true. In addition to salary, you need to ask questions such as:

-What's my schedule?
-What are my medical benefits, costs, and deductibles?
-Defined benefit or defined contribution?
-If DB, what's my multiplier and years of service, and is OT factored in?
-What are the dept's leave policies?
-Compensation for on the job injuries?
-Union?
-Pay progression?

A word on pay progression - One place may pay quite a bit more than the next, but their progression may be very poor. Also, if their starting salary is high, that may be to compensate for their shortcomings, such as poor working conditions, poor retirement, lousy medical, etc.

Having said that, I've worked in three places:

NYC - the privates get from around 19/hr to 23/hr as ALS, 10-13 BLS IIRC. The hospitals pay from 25/hr to 35/hr ALS, around 15-24 BLS. Here's FDNY's current pay scale:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/community/ems_salary_benefits_042607.shtml

-Charleston SC, medics 15/hr in the hospitals, 38k-68k yearly on a 56 hour week municipal 911. BLS 11/hr, around 25k starting, up to 40k or so muni.

Northern VA - private ALS 13-17/hr, BLS 9-14/hr. Fire based ALS 55k-100k, FF/EMT 48k-80k. Fire based jobs are either a typical 56 hour week, and some are 48 hours.

 

[medic417]

Now money aside I would suggest getting your Paramedic as there is so many more things you can do to help your patient at the Paramedic level. Perhaps based on limited studies life threat outcomes are not much difference one way or the other but important care such as pain management is great. It used to kill me to watch patients suffer when I could do nothing for them but lie that the magic oxygen would give them relief. Now it is so nice to know that patients can get some relief. At times that relief allows them to be able to see their family one last time w/o showing signs of pain that would haunt the family.

Then if in a good system you can start treatments that save many minutes of cardiac muscle.

The list could continue but my point is it feels good to do more to help the patient than a set of vitals and a taxi ride.