Generally, not hard at all. That statement assumes two things. One, the ambulance industry is alive and thriving in your area. This is true in the major metropolitan areas, but out in the country may not be accurate. Two, you’re willing to do IFT work. Some people think they are above transfers and dialysis. If thats you, then you could spend years waiting in the wings for a paying 911 job to fall out of the clear blue sky into your lap. If you’re willing to work to earn it(and the industry exists in your area), you should have no problem finding work. I’ll put it to you this way, in thirteen years on the job, I’ve never worked for or seen a private IFT company that wasn’t hiring. BLS IFT jobs(as previously qualified) are a dime a dozen.
Now, the important question, can you make a living. NO!!!!! BLS is not now, nor was it ever meant to be, a career you can support a family and be comfortable on. Yes, you might be able to scrape by, pay a bill or two, and survive; but survival isnt living. In most cases, a bls job is going to pay you subsistence wages, unless you’re still a basic in fifteen or twenty years. My company just raised wages across the board to be one of(if not the) highest paying companies in the area. First year basics are starting at 16/hr, which is damn good money for a basic, even in high cost Mass; but that’s not typical. I have no idea what Oregon wages are like, but in general, basics get paid crap. Chances are excellent that it will be years before you bring home a straight time paycheck that doesn’t make you cry a little. I very vividly remember the days when I would cash a weeks paycheck for <$300. That can be soul crushing after awhile.
People are remarkably resilient and hardy folk, sometimes. It sounds like if youre able to find work, you’re probably looking at a combined gross of about 35k/yr. Roughly 25/yr after taxes. 20 after rent comes out to a net cash flow of a little less than 400/wk from which you need clothes, food, utilities, transportation, incidentals and whatever other bills you have(credit, insurance, and so on). People for sure have lived on less, but you really need to be prepared for some austere condition at those numbers.
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever make overtime part of your calculations unless its built in, guaranteed overtime. I work 48hrs/week every week. I can bank on that eight hours as overtime, but I cant bank on any more than that. Betting your ability to maintain your lifestyle on unplanned overtime is a great path to bankruptcy...
