EMT as a Career Choice

[LiteBrite]

For those of you who are EMTs or just know about being an EMT, I have a question. My college student daughter has been dating a boy who is just starting EMT school. Since my DD is starting to get kind of serious about this boy, I'm just curious - what is life of an EMT like? Do they work crazy hours? Do they make a decent living? Are there good opportunities for advancement?

Please don't misunderstand me - I would never tell my daughter not marry someone just because he didn't make a lot of money. My own very dear hubby was poor as a church mouse when I married him, and he's been a great husband to me. I'm just wondering what her life would be like if she did end up married to an EMT. Would she have a choice about working, or would they need 2 incomes? Is it a stressful lifestyle? Is it rewarding? Thanks so much for any insight you can give me.

 

[CharityLynn]

Honestly I'm not sure how much insight I can give, but I hng around and was very good friends (still am) with an ambulance company. EMT shifts vary on the company to my knowledge, I believe most are flexible with hours. They also do shows and race tracks and that sort of thing which are for a few hours each week. I am not sure if you can make it an actual career maybe someone on here can help with that.

Here is the average salary info:
Potential starting salaries (pre-hospital) EMT - Basic $15,000 to $17,000. EMT -Intermediate $17 to $19,000.00. EMT - Paramedic $28,000 to $35,000. Many options available to the paramedic. (Flight terms.) Salaries estimated at $22,500 to $33,900.


I did take some EMT classes when I was younger but I was having a rough time as a young single teenage mom and had to quit. Who knows maybe someday I'll go back, it can be a very rewarding career.

 

[Servants of Evan]

I have a few friends who are EMTs so I'll answer what is applicable to them. First off, our EMT service is a part of our Fire Department. Every firefighter is a fully trained and certified EMT. That standard was put in place many years ago and it was done so that anyone could respond in the event of an emergency. Since they are part of the fire department, they work 24 on, 48 off just as most of the department (barring dispatch). How busy you are can depend on the city, and even what station you are stationed at. As an example, I live a block and a half from our Station #7. EMT's there are busy -- we have two senior citizen complexes in our station's coverage area and so the EMTs are rolling all day and all night. There are other stations -- one toward an industrial area where the EMTs can actually get a decent night's sleep...

As far as pay is concerned, the pay is decent and the hours (as described above) can offer the time to pick up some side work on days off -- or be able to spend more time with kids at home. As far as being a one income family -- that would depend on housing costs, lifestyle, etc. I would imagine it could be done, but my friends all have spouses which work as well. It can be very rewarding, just as you would expect with nursing or other care. You know you can make a profound difference in somone's life, but you can also be put in the situation where nothing you can do will help...

 

[monsterkitty]

I was an EMT through college and my first few years of teaching.

Do EMTs work crazy hours? It depends on how the system is set up. SOme are on 24 hours off 24, on 24, off 24, on 24 then four days off. Others work 12 hour shifts four days a week. It just really depends on what system the EMT is in.

Do they make a decent living? Some do, some don't. There are different levels of EMts -EMT Basic which is the lowest paid, and the highset which is EMT-P or a Paramedic. Many fire departments will hire EMTs and put them through the fire fighter school so that they have at least one EMT on a call as soon as they roll up to a scene. Because of the way the shifts are set up, I know many paramedics who "moonlight" at amusment parks or water parks for extra cash. This can boost their income quite a bit.

Is there room for advancement? Yes, as they become certified at higher levels. Or if they are on the fire department working as an EMT-P.

Would they need two incomes? My pay supplemented my college and my first few years of teaching. After student teaching, I really didn't know if I truly wanted to teach or if I wanted to be an EMT. I loved both but knew that one would have to go because of the time issues. There was no way I could live on my $15,000 salary as a first or second year teacher (even 17 years ago) and there was no way I could live on what my ambulance company paid us (although we were on 24 hour shifts we did not get paid for the hours we slept so no calls in the middle of the night = no money). The straw that broke this camels back will asnwer your last questions.

Is it rewarding? Yes! there is nothing like helping a person who is hurt or sick. However, ti is very stressful. One mistake and a person could be seriously injured or they could die. Why did I pick teaching over emergency medicine? In one 24 hour shift I responded to three different scenes that resulted in the deaths of 4 little babies, all under a year old, and 5 year old. A house fire took the lives of one of the babies and the 5 yo. SIDS claimed another baby, and child abuse claimes the third baby. I couldn't do after that. Others can recover but for me it helped me make my career choice.

I still love helping the kids who get hurt here at school. We don't have school nurses so the district pays my EMT recertification classes and I still do third rides (ride alongs with an ambulance crew).

I hope this helps!

 

[LiteBrite]

Thanks so much for your responses! I appreciate your thoughtful and detailed posts.

Just to clarify a little further - he wants to be an EMT/firefighter. I'm not sure if he's going to be a paramedic or not.

 

[Hannathy]

I too paid my way through college as an EMT. If he stays at a basic EMT there is no way he could support a family. But if he uses it as a stepping stone to becomming a paramedic or a nurse or other Health career then he could live on it. I would nicely ask him what he plans on doing as an EMT. He may have other plans and be using this as I did or maybe to get a foot up getting in a fire dept. etc.

It is the same as any other job that deals with the public and is open 24 hrs 365 days a year. rewarding some days, frustrating others and when you are low man crazy hours and days.

 

[mzspaz]

As the wife of an EMT, I think I can help to answer some of your questions.

Overall, the life of an EMT is good. It is like any other thing, it has it's ups and downs. The main thing that my DH got from his job is that he LOVES it. In the 5 years he worked as an EMT, he called off of work twice....once when we both had the flu and once for his dad's funeral. That was it.

When he started as an EMT, it was a bit rough with his schedule. He did work some crazy hours and I had a rough time getting used to him being gone in the night (so he got me a dog). When he started, the pay was horrible, but after about 3 or 4 years, it was okay.

He has used his EMT cert to expand into other areas and continues to love what he does. While not working as a paid EMT, he still keeps his skills updated and works with the local volunteer fire department.

I also know other EMTs that have gone onto a variety of different things. One is a teacher, one is a county cop, another is a nurse, another is in medical school. Each one of them was unsure of a career path when they became an EMT, but through their time as an EMT, were able to figure it out.

If he is going on to become a firefighter/EMT....the only difference is the rate of pay. They tend to make better money than someone working as a basic EMT.

This could be his career path or it could be a stepping stone for him. Whatever it is, if it makes him happy, I am sure that that will carry over to you daughter.

 

[horseshowmom]

My DH's niece started off as a Basic to help put herself through college. She wound up liking it so much that she progressed to the Intermediate and Paramedic stages. She never had any trouble finding a job.

Currently, she's teaching a two year EMT/Paramedic program in a community college at a very good salary with great hours.

 

[ChrisnSteph]

The hours, flexibility, and pay rate vary from county to county. My dh started as an EMT, then became a paramedic, and eventually a firefighter/medic. I also have my EMT cert, but haven't formally worked as one. My dh worked for AMR, which is a national company. The pay isn't spectacular, but it's decent and includes benefits. There is also lots of OT. Shifts vary from 12 to 24 hours. Usually those with seniority get the most desirable shifts, and rookies get the worst. Around here, most people start out as an EMT, and do like my dh did. Some become medics and work up to supervisory positions, or operations managers. Many eventually move on to the fire service. Some even go on to PA (physican assistant) programs. It's a great profession, and can be a stepping stone for bigger things.

 

[NYMEDIC]

I became an EMT when I was in college. I chose to do so because generally where I lived the salary was a few dollars more and hour than the supermarkets, fast food, etc. I was only going to do this during summer breaks. Ten years later and I am a Paramedic in NYC and also the Director of an ambulance company with 100 employees.

Can you make a good living? Absoulutely, it all depends on what your work ethic is. My coworkers and employees usually work 2 doubles (8hr shifts and a single 8 hr shift). This means they work 3 days a week. They can then get another job or if a family is involved it would cut down on child care costs.

Salaries in NY depend on location. On LI a paramedic, right out of school, will average 43,000 and have company paid medical and dental. An EMT will be about 1/2 of that. This is all without OT.

Many of my friends make 6 figures working 50-60 hrs week.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Thanks so much for your responses! I appreciate your thoughtful and detailed posts.

Just to clarify a little further - he wants to be an EMT/firefighter. I'm not sure if he's going to be a paramedic or not.

My DH is a firefighter/EMT. It will depend on the department that he ends up with, as to how well he's paid. My DH luckily ended up with one of the best-paying departments in Texas, but he applied all over.

 

[LiteBrite]

Bumping for the evening crowd

 

[bigbabyblues]

My DH is currently an EMT and going to school to be a paramedic. We will never again make "good" money like at his former job, but he's much happier. When he gets his paramedic, he'll work 2 24-hour shifts a week, which will work out well for us.

 

[Dan Murphy]

My sion, Vince, has been a firefighter/paramed for several years now, is doing quite well. He applied to many departments before finally landing his currrent. He is full time with one department, part time with another. He does put in quite a few hours, his W-2's reflect it. He does find it very rewarding, something he had wanted for a long time.

Good wishes for him.