HamptonTravels

I'm just curious as to where you live, Medium. Are you applying everywhere or just with the municipal or hospital ambulances? Those are usually more difficult to get into than it is with the private ambulances. Here in New York, private ambulances pick up EMT's from left to right. But that's because not many people want to be in the private companies and those who are in them are waiting to get into the FDNY ambulance. Hospital ambulances are even more difficult to get into if you don't have experience. I know how you feel though, buddy. All these places want you to have experience but nobody is willing to give you a chance. So how could you get experience If the job market in your area is bad, you might need to relocate as Dusty suggested. Either that or become a paramedic. According to statistics by the U.S. Department of Labor, the higher your training, the better your hiring chances. And from my experience in searching for jobs nationwide, there seems to be more of a need for paramedics than EMT's. Are you willing to commute? You may have to in order to find a job. That's what a number of people in my old company did. There were people who drove an hour to get to work.

Wow, 4 jobs are a lot. But yes, you REALLY have to love what you do. At least you're not working 3 jobs that you hate I definitely agree that you can't work at a job that you'll be miserable in, no matter how high the pay is. I could only imagine where in the midwest you are, but the fact that you ARE in the midwest tells me that EMS pay is just, well, sad. Unless you live in Chicago, perhaps.

It's sad to admit, but I do agree with you on this. It is even a shame that we have to be having this discussion. EMS providers are obviously not paid near to what they're worth and it's bad that money plays a large role in determining whether or not to pursue this career. Contrary to popular belief, however, there are places out there that pay EMT's and paramedics a nice salary, but unfortunately that's the exception and not the rule. As long as there are hospitals and hundreds of private companies spranging up like weeds, there will not be a need for a city to have its own municipal ambulance. There are new companies popping up all the time and are dying to have contracts with any city, even to the point of offering the city free service so that the city won't have to pay for it. So EMS providers will never get the nice salaries that cops and firefighters will get. And even a municipal ambulance would only pay their employees just a little better than private companies, so it's almost like a no-win situation. I am not completely back with EMS, but I may be forced to do it on either a per diem or volunteer bases because of the pay. I wanted to do it again full-time, but I have too many financial obligations that won't allow me to enter back into EMS with its nasty salary unless I work 100 hours a week, which I am definitely not willing to do. I have a wife and I enjoy SEEING her too Sometimes you can't always follow your heart, unless you're a young, single person with no obligations whatsoever. Money is definitely not everything to me, but security is and that's something EMS cannot always guarantee. That's why a number of EMT's I've worked with were going for their nursing degree. As one guy told me, "As much as I have given to the community, I would also like to receive something back." Yeah, he wants that $60,000 salary so he won't have to settle for McDonald's dollar menu anymore. Even though $43,000 in NYC isn't "high" for the city's standards, it's a heck of a lot better than $21,000, whichs goes down to $16,000 after taxes, and which goes down to near $10,000 after benefits!

I was once a public school teacher making from $39,000 to over $43,000 a year. I left that to return to EMS and to make less than HALF that much. Was I crazy to do it? If I were to make EMS my living, I would definitely go for my medic to make a better and more secure salary. Paramedics in NYC get paid nicely (relatively speaking). Money is not everything for me. I would much rather have a job that I'll be happy and make a poor salary than to be in a job I hate and make an awesome salary. No one should let money be a factor when determining what career he or she wants to do. Happiness is what's more important. But you still think about, "Man, I had some nice-looking checks before. Now my checks look like a stipend for groceries." What do you think?

I had a girlfriend who once had a dream that Ronald McDonald was chasing her in the woods with a chainsaw. I'm sorry, but that was just TOOOO funny! She didn't think it was, but man, just picturing Ronald with a chainsaw and a evil laugh while eating a cheeseburger. I still think it's funny to see that people are scared of clowns I'm sorry, don't mean to be insensitive...but what's so bad about clowns? I have a fear of Barney the Dinosaur. Man, you see how big that dude's jaw is??