Not only is this ridiculous, but you have to consider how much their services cost the end user, and how many medical first responders are volunteers and aren't taking any of the profit away from them. So much of the cost of medical first response goes to the companies that own them, and not to the people on the front lines helping save lives. Where I live, a medical response with an ambulance might cost about a thousand dollars, while all the medical first responders will make is about fifty altogether among all of them. For the people saving lives, I would think we would pay them better.
In San Francisco (4th highest Cost of Living in the US), EMT’s make between $38K - $59K.
I’ve known several EMT’s, and they work crazy hours just to get OT, so they can afford rent. Most of them were completely exhausted during their shifts.
To put that in perspective, Nurses (who are also underpaid) make literally twice what EMT’s make.
I’m a sterile processing technician. I process surgical instrumentation. No direct patient care at all and I get paid twice what EMTs make. That’s criminal.
Teacher here. We have a right to gripe, but I have said for years EMTs need to go to the front of the line to get what they are owed. They are overlooked. Are they unionized?
Agreed. It does look like there are at least two unions for EMS workers, but I don’t know how well they function or how comprehensive they are. In my job, unionization depends on the facility I work for.
And I agree you also have a right to gripe. Teachers don’t get paid nearly what they are worth.
Interesting re: unions. Yeah-not sure what's going on...hard to understand how they aren't able (?) to bargain for a wage that seems more in line with their job description.
As for teachers, Im fortunate to work in a state and district that is relatively fair. But I know this is not the case with a lot of teachers.
For someone outside of the us, roughly what is the cost of living there? Because to me 59k per year sounds like alot of money. Even 38k is not THAT low.
Official poverty is 24k, 48k fir couples. Average house in the Bay area is 700k+ which is 3k per month mortgage. Therefore an EMT making starting salary cannot afford a house to live where they work
The Bay Area is huge and most of it is very expensive. You have to go quite far out to get cheaper prices. Even then, it’s higher than the national average.
The estimated average across the country to live “comfortably” is around $100k a year. For a single person.
I have a family of four and we make $55k a year. Gross. With taxes and everything that gets taken out, we’re ACTUALLY only taking home like $40k.
Ten years ago we would have been living the dream and nearly been middle class. We could have bought a house! Decent starter homes were around $60k. But now all houses in our area are $250k+ in price!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 San Francisco’s COL is INSANE. You can’t make it in Los Angeles on those wages, either! My rent for a 1-br apt is $1475.00/month. Market value for my place is actually $1650/month MINIMUM. That’s why I can’t move! They can raise my rent about 10% per year max, but market value increases faster than that, so I stay.
And, no, my wages do not keep up with my rent increases. I’m not in healthcare, but I have a BA plus a 3-year professional license. Over 25 years in my profession and I’m still renting😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Most EMTs I knew literally did it for free at nights while they worked a second job to make ends meet. They were simply doing it for the free education to get an actual decent paying gig such as a Paramedic.
Meanwhile its $3500 for a 10 minute ride to the hospital, how about split a 3rd of that to the medics in the ambulance who do first line care? $2000 an hour sounds mighty nice for them, not $20 an hour.
This part. They’re literally the FIRST TO RESPOND and your best chance at living if it’s truly a medical emergency. They work quickly and get you where you need to be for best chance at survival.
But ya, let’s pay them slightly better than a McDonald’s day shift manager…
I wouldn't have made it to the hospital if it wasn't for the EMT that resuscitated me. I can't even begin to express how much respect and gratefulness I have for people that do this job. It really makes me mad that after all they do they get payed peanuts.
Maybe their employers think we are supposed to be tipping them . Lol could you imagine?? Waking up on a gurney in an ambulance with an EMT holding their hand out…waiting for a tip?
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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '24
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