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EMT Wages

Hello everyone. I am new to this board. I am currently looking into getting a job as an EMT and I was wondering what I should expect as starting pay for an EMT in Los Angeles. I was looking into AMR. Anyone have other recommendations of ambulance companies I should look into?


Casual conversation with EMT-B's in several Southern California counties leads me to believe that you can reasonably expect starting pay to be from minimum wage to twice minimum wage at most commercial ambulance firms. Some may pay more, but such scenarios are rare. Then again, we are talking about a job (not a career) where most employees seem to stay less than a year, many staying far less.

Work hard to find a commercial ambulance firm that fits your needs, and at the same time challenges you in ways large and small.

Best wishes,

Brian
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i dont know about so-cal but the county i work in (central california) is poor and i make minimum wage. AMR here pays 8 something so i imagine it would be more down there. IT ALL DEPENDS WHO YOU WORK FOR



So. Cal. pays the same.



When researching ambulance companies, look at other benefits such as uniform allowance, night differential, call bonus, and overtime pay. All of those benefits can make a big difference in your overall salary.



There are many different ambulance companies in Los Angeles County and each has their positives and negatives.

Typically, the more "Mom and Pop" or smaller ambulance companies tend to pay more salary wise since the majority of their transports are interfacility and guaranteed to pay insurance wise. These companies tend to work more with you in scheduling for school, etc. Not many apply for these jobs because these companies do not have any 911 contracts with any fire departments for transport. There is not much action, but if you are looking for a more intimate atmosphere then this might be for you. The smaller compaines usually pay a few dollars above minimum wager per hour.

The larger companies are very for profit driven. Since there are more employees, there is less room for maneuverablity for scheduling. There are more applicants because the larger companies tend to have the majority of the 911 contracts so there is more action. However, they tend to pay near the bottom because it is more in demand. The bigger companies do have 401k, decent health benefits and room for promotion/opportunity than the smaller companies, but you may be lost in the cround on occasion.

The larger companies do have OT opportunities though, and when I worked as an EMT, that is how I supplemented my income to a livable wage.

Good Luck!