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Advance in paramedicine ...
Hi! I will be starting an EMT program in January then onto Paramedic program in the Fall. I was curious what kind of opportunities there are to advance once an EMT-P. The more I research the more I feel I will want to stay in paramedicine, rather than bridge to nursing eventually. But are there courses I can take to widen my scope as a medic and become more marketable, making more yearly?
Thanks!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Rubin on -
Yes, there are courses you can take to widen your scope as a medic, although they don't necessarily improve your earning potential. What is it about paramedicine that makes you think you want to do that? Have you considered other careers besides nursing? Do you already have a degree?
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Permalink Reply by Dalela Manning on -
The pay in my area is pretty low, only starting out around 40K ... was just wondering how likely it would be to increase that by about 15K with CE and experience of course. I want to be a medic... but what i want and what i can live on as a single mother are very different lol. Thanks
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Permalink Reply by Mike Rubin on
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If you begin working as a medic for Agency A at $40K, add all the CE that's offered, get raises of 3% a year (very generous) and stay with Agency A with the same certification in the same position, it would take about 10 years for you to get to $55K. Another option would be to choose a better-paying full-time career, if that's an option for you, then try to work part-time as a medic, or volunteer.
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Permalink Reply by Dalela Manning on
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Thank you for the information.
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Permalink Reply by Justin P on -
Other options are to expand into critical care transport and/or flight paramedicine. I was a basic for 4 years, then became a intermediate for a year, then got my associates in EMS and have been a medic for 8 years. I am now taking a CCT course and plan to sit for the FP-C exam in early 2013. I previously worked for a private ALS transport service and made 60K annually on a ABC 24 schedule with occ. OT. So I recommend doing your basic stuff for 2-3 years, during that time take some enrichment classes like ACLS for EMT's, ITLS (international trauma life support), and brush up on medical math and A&P then you'll be ready for medic school. Go to an accredited program, preferably an associates degree program from a college, that way if you want to go beyond paramedic into nursing etc. you will have college credits to transfer. hope this helps,
Justin Poland A.A.S., NREMT-P, EMS-I
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Permalink Reply by Dalela Manning on
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Thank you Justin ...
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Permalink Reply by Skip Kirkwood on -
$40K as a starting salary, with no college degree required, is nothing to sneeze at! Entry level paramedics in our county start at a base salary of $34,200 and after 10 years may be at $55K. There is built in overtime, work schedules are 10 or 14 days per month, so if you are motivated you can do pretty well.
Dalela Manning said:The pay in my area is pretty low, only starting out around 40K ... was just wondering how likely it would be to increase that by about 15K with CE and experience of course. I want to be a medic... but what i want and what i can live on as a single mother are very different lol. Thanks
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Permalink Reply by Scott Lancaster on -
Skip,
Is that salary of 34K a year based on experience, or time with your county?
That being said, I still can believe that starting paramedics are still getting around $16/hr anywhere. That was my starting rate as a medic a decade ago! In my current State, a new medic gets around $14! I couldn't believe it when my students told me that. And we wonder why we loose good people to other professions.
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Permalink Reply by Dalela Manning on
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Skip... I am going for my associates in para medicine. However... having a degree or not having a degree doesn't change entry level pay for medics at all around here. And yes 40K is low for a single income family. I make 32K now cleaning homes for a living, with no "degree" lol. If I bridge to nursing, which would take approximately a year. I would make 60K or more at entry level, with opportunities to advance and possibly increase that to 80K or more.
That being said, I want to be in EMS... but being a single mother I may have no choice. That is if I would like to buy my son his first car, send him to college and have a good retirement for myself. Or heck, just do more that merely get by.
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Permalink Reply by Skip Kirkwood on
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That is $34K for a new graduate medic with no paramedic experience. Those with experience in similar (good volume, 911) systems start higher, with credit for up to 10 years experience).
It is still too easy to become a paramedic, so there are too many in the marketplace for salaries to go up much. The only way starting salaries will rise is if somehow there are less applicants in the market. EMS folks don't seem to understand that, because they don't go to college and take ECON 101!!
Scott Lancaster said:Skip,
Is that salary of 34K a year based on experience, or time with your county?
That being said, I still can believe that starting paramedics are still getting around $16/hr anywhere. That was my starting rate as a medic a decade ago! In my current State, a new medic gets around $14! I couldn't believe it when my students told me that. And we wonder why we loose good people to other professions.
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Permalink Reply by Skip Kirkwood on
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Nope, degree or certificate doesn't change entry-level pay. I will tell you for sure that the competencies that you develop through education make a difference going forward, when you want to promote, etc.
If you need a certain level of money to sustain the lifestyle you have, then you have to pick the occupational path that will give you that. But beware of the "$60K nursing job" - that is not a static state and doesn't come with a guarantee!
Dalela Manning said:Skip... I am going for my associates in para medicine. However... having a degree or not having a degree doesn't change entry level pay for medics at all around here. And yes 40K is low for a single income family. I make 32K now cleaning homes for a living, with no "degree" lol. If I bridge to nursing, which would take approximately a year. I would make 60K or more at entry level, with opportunities to advance and possibly increase that to 80K or more.
That being said, I want to be in EMS... but being a single mother I may have no choice. That is if I would like to buy my son his first car, send him to college and have a good retirement for myself. Or heck, just do more that merely get by.
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Permalink Reply by Dalela Manning on
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I know Skip... but I would like to pout and say that "I don't want to be a nurse" =( So I'm going to do what I can to a maximize my earning potential as a paramedic. And go from there....
Thanks again
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