EMT Work/Salary/Growth Potential

[bjl12]

Hi guys - new to SDN and this sub-forum specifically.

I'm set to start an EMT-B course in March which concludes in late August. I have several questions regarding the line of work:

- Can I expect to do any real EMS stuff, or will I just be transporting?

- What are the requirements for EMT-I? Also, can EMT-I's do real EMS stuff?

- Does anyone know the typical starting wage/salary for EMT-B/EMT-I/Para?

- How transferrable is an EMT-B cert.? I.E., as an EMT-B, is it fairly easy to move into ER Tech./Mental Health Tech., etc.?

Any general advice/thoughts?

I'm moving into EMS (EMT) as a means to get HCE. I'm considering PA school.

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[BB8730]

Hi and welcome.

- Can I expect to do any real EMS stuff, or will I just be transporting?

What do you mean by "real EMS stuff?" Responding to 911 calls? There is a potential for you to be involved in virtually any area of EMS as an EMT-B, but it's highly dependent on where you live and what opportunities are available. Call the ambulance services near you to find out if they hire EMT-Bs and what role EMT-Bs play on their service. Some services only hire EMTs for transports as you said, while others have EMT-Bs respond to 911 calls either as part of a BLS rig or an ALS unit with a paramedic.

- What are the requirements for EMT-I? Also, can EMT-I's do real EMS stuff?

Honestly, I don't think EMT-I is worth your (or anyone's) time unless your service requires it. Every state is different, but usually EMT-Bs can do just about anything an EMT-I can if the service has a variance for it. Don't do it unless you know for sure that you need it.

- Does anyone know the typical starting wage/salary for EMT-B/EMT-I/Para?

Again, highly dependent on where you live. A volunteer position may be all that's available to you, in which case you'll probably make $3-$5 an hour on average. Some volunteer services pay hourly, and some pay while you're actually on a call. On the flip side, you could start out at $20+ an hour on a major metro ambulance service.

- How transferrable is an EMT-B cert.? I.E., as an EMT-B, is it fairly easy to move into ER Tech./Mental Health Tech., etc.?

The EMT-B certification itself doesn't really transfer into anything, but employers like to see it. ER tech positions often require it or it is a preferred qualification. For a mental health tech job, it will look good on your resume. I was hired as an ER CNA because I had my EMT-B, so it can definitely open doors. At the very least, it looks good.

Any general advice/thoughts?

I'm moving into EMS (EMT) as a means to get HCE. I'm considering PA school.

Pick up the phone and start making calls. Call all the ambulance services and hospitals near you and see what opportunities are available for EMT-Bs. If you have any rural volunteer ambulance services near you, I would recommend checking those out. I've worked for 2 volunteer services and they're great. Good experience, a little extra spending cash, and lots of down-time to do homework. Otherwise you'll be very busy working for an urban service. Look around, though. Good luck!

 

[bjl12]

Again, highly dependent on where you live. A volunteer position may be all that's available to you, in which case you'll probably make $3-$5 an hour on average. Some volunteer services pay hourly, and some pay while you're actually on a call. On the flip side, you could start out at $20+ an hour on a major metro ambulance service.

Pick up the phone and start making calls. Call all the ambulance services and hospitals near you and see what opportunities are available for EMT-Bs. If you have any rural volunteer ambulance services near you, I would recommend checking those out. I've worked for 2 volunteer services and they're great. Good experience, a little extra spending cash, and lots of down-time to do homework.

Thank you very much.

I live outside of Philly and I thought EMT-B was attractive because I figured, at times, I could get paid to do homework (who wouldn't like that?). However, 3$-5$/hr (or only being paid during calls/runs) seems extraordinarily low/insufficient (Can't pay bills off that). How did you live off such a low wage (at the volunteer EMS)?

And yes when I say EMS I mean actual, hands-on, emergency medicine... instead of a health taxi

Either way, your advice is great and I will start making calls shortly.

 

[BB8730]

Thank you very much.

I live outside of Philly and I thought EMT-B was attractive because I figured, at times, I could get paid to do homework (who wouldn't like that?). However, 3$-5$/hr (or only being paid during calls/runs) seems extraordinarily low/insufficient (Can't pay bills off that). How did you live off such a low wage (at the volunteer EMS)?

And yes when I say EMS I mean actual, hands-on, emergency medicine... instead of a health taxi

Either way, your advice is great and I will start making calls shortly.

Yeah it's hard to live off a volunteer EMT's salary. I know people who do it, but for me it was always either a second job or I had other sources of money (student loans or wife working). If you're looking for better cash intake, check out the ER tech/CNA or urban ambulance jobs. You'll be busy and you probably won't be able to do schoolwork, but you'll get awesome experience and good money.

 

[Palam]

Salary depends on your state and agency. The consensus seems to be that the pay isn't great but it's fair for only needing ~6 months of school. I make $12.25 an hour with benefits if I were full time.

If you enjoy EMS, then become a paramedic. They make a lot more than emts- I believe fdny starts at 50k yearly.

The type of calls you get depends on your agency. I work for a private medical transport company. The large majority of calls are stable patients, but we do get serious fall victims, stroke, cardiac, and codes. Cardiac and respiratory are usually reserved for ALS units. If you worked for a 911 system like fdny, you'll be getting plenty of serious calls. Emts get lots of stabbing a, shootings, and other stuff like that in the city.

In New York, the state pays for you to go to school. That being said, you need someone to sponsor you. You can join a fire department or a private ambulance company. Fire departments are a lot more serious calls, particularly motor vehicle accidents, however you're expected to make ~10% of calls, do fire training, and be a probie for awhile. I went private because I wasn't interested in the fire department life, nor did I want to be walked on just for being new. I then went and got a job as a paid emt.

What I ultimately wanted to do and have just recently accomplished, is use my BLS certification to get a job as an ER tech. It's by no means easy, but I did it and in less than a year to boot! The pay is much better thankfully.

 

[Palam]

I see a fellow ER tech in here! BLS is usually a requirement to get in but getting an interview is not easy. Hospital openings get circulated internally first, so applying online is kind of a crap shoot.

 

[Davidasaurus]

- Can I expect to do any real EMS stuff, or will I just be transporting?

I think this ultimately depends on where you work. I was employed by my university's EMS system, with 5+ ER's in a 5 mile radius. My job was mainly transporting since we were always so close to an ER, but if you live in a more rural area you may find yourself doing more BLS than I did.

- What are the requirements for EMT-I? Also, can EMT-I's do real EMS stuff?


My particular region doesn't even acknowledge this certification. Instructors told us it wasn't really worth the time and effort since you don't really get to flex your jurisdiction anyways.

- Does anyone know the typical starting wage/salary for EMT-B/EMT-I/Para?


I can only speak for EMT-B's, employed at university I was making a little over $10/hour. Private ambulance companies that recruited our class advertised $8.something/hour with a small bonus ($3 IIRC) per transport

- How transferrable is an EMT-B cert.? I.E., as an EMT-B, is it fairly easy to move into ER Tech./Mental Health Tech., etc.?


My program had an opportunity for us to volunteer as ER tech's so it was an easy transfer. However, to get hired they were mainly looking for paramedics. Of course I live right in the heart of Chicago so the competition is possibly much more fierce than wherever you may reside.