Paramedic Salary – Your Earning Potential
Paramedic salary varies depending on where a paramedic is assigned to work. There are several factors to affect your salary if you want to pursue being a paramedic.
To better understand the factors involved; let us describe briefly what a paramedic does. In response to 911 calls, paramedics provide assistance in medical emergencies. They are often tasked to perform life saving medical procedures to provide temporary stability for the patient. This is in preparation for transport to a hospital where the patient will get full treatment for their ailment and/or injury. They get to work with fire fighters, in an ambulance or a helicopter.
Paramedics operate under strict protocols due to the tense environment that they often go to. At times, they arrive in situations wherein the violence still lingers and they are often put at risk while saving lives. Regardless of this, statistics show that job opportunities for paramedic will increase by 9% over the next 8 years. This trend is calculated more on the demand that will be required by the industry.
A paramedic salary averages $32,000 annually in 2008. In 2009, the rate peaked at $51,000 annually. This amount is common for those employed by hospitals and outpatient facilities. The rate also varies per state. Paramedics in Alaska, Hawaii, Columbia, and Maryland are among the highest paid in the country. Their salaries reach up to $48,000 annually. Those in San Francisco, Honolulu and other metropolitan areas in Washington earn as much as $68,000 every year. The highest paying city is in Tacoma, Washington where paramedics get up to $71,000 in annual wages.
Industries also pay a huge role in affecting a paramedic salary. Those at high risk jobs like in mining support earn $55,000 every year. Paramedics who are employed by the government earn $49,500 while those in steel mills earn $43,000. Those in the medical and diagnostics industry earn around $42,000. Though they do not earn much, this is where the bulk of the demand lies. All these wages are exclusive of additional compensation like benefits and the like. Those in the medical industry have complete health packages and those employed by the government have other benefits that some industries cannot offer.
Areas that have high demands do not necessarily give a high paramedic salary. More often, they are below the median range – between $20,000 and $30,000. Industries that need paramedics the most are health care services and local governments.
Paramedic salary may not be as rewarding as the other professions in the medical industries but some jobs give more than just monetary compensation. The fact that paramedics are in the position to save lives is a fulfilling experience already. They are given the authority and licence to perform pre medical treatments to stabilize the condition of victims and patients that are thrust under their care. They are not only skilled individuals they are trained life savers who sometimes put their own lives at risk. They are constantly immersed in environments that have high levels of stress and emotional tensions and they are able to function without hesitation. Like fire fighters, they are always on the go to respond to emergency situations. If this job description is reward enough for you, then you have what it takes to be a paramedic.