How to Make More Money in the Emergency Medical Field
If you’re an emergency medical technician (EMT) looking to increase your earnings potential, or if you’re considering a career in the EMT/paramedic field, you may want to consider going back to school for a higher degree or certification. According to www.payscale.com, the national pay average for a certified emergency medical technician with more than 5 years of experience is $13.42 per hour. A paramedic, however, can make an average of $16.65 per hour depending on experience.
Although the lay person tends to use the terms “EMT” and “paramedic” interchangeably, they are very different jobs with very different responsibilities. An EMT typically has the lowest level of education or certification available, called the EMT Basic certification, or EMT-B. EMT-B’s cover basic life support and non-invasive procedures such as CPR, the use of a defibrillator, basic airbag ventilation, and splinting or suctioning.
A paramedic, on the other hand, is trained in the use of 30-40 different medications, can give shots or insert IV lines, use more advanced airway management, and typically provide a higher level of care than an EMT. Their job is to maintain the patient’s condition after the EMT has performed the initial resuscitation, which is why paramedics make more money and have a higher earning potential than EMT’s.
This is why, if you currently work as an EMT or are in training to become one, you should consider going for a higher degree and becoming a paramedic. Typically, a paramedic earns an Associate of Applied Sciences degree, which can be earned in as little as 18 months, depending on the school and the requirements of your state. The cost of paramedic training varies by state and school, but the average cost is between $800 and $1,500.
This may seem like a huge investment of both your time and money compared to the basic EMT certification, which typically costs much less and can be achieved in just a few months, but consider the benefits. The average starting salary for a paramedic, according to www.payscale.com, is $13.46 per hour, which is about the same as the top EMT salary. With experience, paramedic salaries can go as high as $16.65 per hour.
The benefits of a higher degree are obvious for anyone interested in the EMT/paramedic field. And since many paramedic training schools offer evening and weekend classes, you can continue to work full time while increasing your skill set and on-the-job experience. Typically, most programs also require at least 1 year of on-the-job EMT experience before going through paramedic training. Other than that, the requirements are simple: you need a high school diploma or equivalent, and the ability to read at a 10th grade level or higher. This is because paramedic training requires anatomy, algebra, and other subjects beyond the basic first aid that EMT’s are trained in.
The bottom line: if you want to increase your earnings potential and have a more fulfilling, long-term career, going back to school and getting a paramedic degree is definitley the way to go.
