Emt Hourly Pay (2024)

FAQs

Why should EMTs be paid more? ›

EMTs are best known for working in high-stress environments and saving people's lives. EMTs should be paid more for the lifesaving work they do. EMTs play a pivotal role in the medical field by providing immediate life-saving medical care, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

You can easily get a job as a basic EMT (EMT-B) without any experience or qualifications. The EMT basic program is an entry-level training program that teaches you basic emergency medicine skills through a certification process and a mentorship with a paramedic or an EMT-I in an ambulance or an emergency department.

Work Environment

Most EMTs and paramedics work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Schedules may vary to include nights, weekends, and holidays. Their work may be physically strenuous and stressful, sometimes involving life-or-death situations.

Can a paramedic make six figures? It is unlikely a paramedic will earn a salary of $100,000 or more, but is not impossible. Typically, the highest-paid paramedics work in general medical and surgical hospitals, and they earn a median annual salary of $47,000.

As of Jul 5, 2024, the average hourly pay for an Emt in California is $21.13 an hour. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $28.23 and as low as $10.20, the majority of Emt salaries currently range between $16.83 (25th percentile) to $22.31 (75th percentile) in California.

The certification required to become an EMT or paramedic is relatively minimal, which can also contribute to lower wages. It only takes 120 to 150 hours of training to become an EMT, and ambulances in rural communities are often staffed by volunteers, which depresses wages for those who do pursue the role as a career.

Long and variable shifts (days or nights), limited time between calls, stressful work environments, and sleep deprivation influence unhealthy behaviors in EMS. In Pittsburgh, EMS rooms are primarily stocked with unhealthy food options with few offering healthy choices.

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The industry is having a hard time replacing them. A 2022 American Ambulance Association study of employee turnover found that 39% of part-time EMT and 55% of part-time paramedic positions went unfilled because of a lack of qualified candidates. "It's an absolute crisis.

Overall, the Paramedic EMT exam is somewhat difficult, as it is designed to assess important skills and knowledge. Because the Paramedic exam is computer-adaptive, the questions will proceed to get slightly harder as you go along, depending on which questions you answer correctly.

Is it worth being an EMT? ›

Being an EMT is a great stepping stone to other medical careers. Many EMTs go on to become paramedics or nurses, or they use their skills and experience to enter other medical fields. With additional training and education, you can advance your career and take on more responsibility and higher-paying positions.

Because patients can be in need at any point in time, EMTs must be available to work overnight, weekends and holidays. Shifts typically range from nine, 12 and 24 hours.

Many times staff will be on duty for 24 hours and on call for the following 24 hours. Stations that follow this model typically house their personnel in a house-like setting so they can eat, sleep and perform daily tasks while waiting for any calls.

California Labor laws give a different set of overtime rules to “ambulance drivers and attendants” who work 24-hours shifts, than the rest of the California work force. Under certain circ*mstances, the rule allows employers to schedule ambulance drivers to work 24 hours without paying daily overtime pay.

The Executive EMS Officers are the senior management team members. Often, agencies refer to them as “Deputy Chief”, “Director” or “Chief of Department”. The executive EMS Officer is responsible for providing general management and top-level leadership to an EMS organization.