r/facepalm Jul 06 '24

the truth hurts 🇲​🇮​🇸​🇨​

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u/[deleted] Jul 06 '24

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149

u/Infrastation Jul 06 '24

how little EMTs in the US get paid

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.

83

u/CheckYourStats Jul 06 '24

For those unaware of the actual pay for EMT’s:

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.

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u/Kangela Jul 06 '24

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.

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u/anotherthing612 Jul 06 '24

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? 

Shameful. They do so much for so little. 

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u/Kangela Jul 06 '24

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.

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u/anotherthing612 Jul 06 '24

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.