$40K Right Out of High School: Why High Demand Paramedic Jobs Could Be Right For You.

• This article will cover all the reasons why a career in EMS is one of the best options for you

40% of high schools graduates don’t end up going to college.

They want a career they can enjoy. They want something that gives them a sense of fulfillment. And they want something that will pay them a livable wage

If that sounds like you, then I’m glad you’re here.

All that totally makes sense.

College is expensive. Super expensive. The average time to pay off those student loans is 20-30 years.

That’s freaking insane. That’s how long it takes to pay off a house.

Plus the average salary for a college graduate is only 60K. That’s a lot of expensive schooling for not a big payoff.

So, college isn’t for everyone.

If it’s not for you, that’s okay. But what do you do instead?

Hey, I’m Shay. I’m firefighter paramedic and have been working in prehospital EMS for over a decade now.

Today I’m gonna go over why emergency medicine might be the right move for you.

Good Pay

Ok so you won’t be walking around with Elon Musk money working in EMS.

But you don’t have to have a degree to make some good money either.

The average firefighter make $50K a year. And you typically have a good insurance and retirement plan.

Obviously you pay depends on where you work. San Francisco makes a lot more than some rural department in Idaho.

EMTs generally make about 40k.

The point that’s a pretty good pay for being right out of high school.

Looking to make even more? Fire Medics make about $70k per year.

Being a paramedic at a fire department requires a little schooling. But it’s less than a year.

And it’s super focused.

Your only focus is on being a licensed paramedic. You don’t have to worry about any useless extra class like you did in high school.

Overtime.

Overtime is generally paid at time and a half.

In pre-hospital ems we are always short staffed so you can have your fill.

Need some extra cash for Christmas? Overtime shift.

Saving up for a house? Overtime, baby.

Want to go on a nice trip and have some spending money? One or two more shifts won’t hurt.

The money is there if you’re willing to work for it.

But word of caution. Don’t work so much that you don’t have time to enjoy it.

Remember to take some time off here and there

Life Skills

Being a paramedic is a high stress job.

However that makes it the best place to learn some important life skills.

Hard Work

Number one. It teaches you how to do hard work. Ot teaches you to learn a lot of skills very quickly. And not just do them kinda well. You learn to be excellent at them.

Knowing how to work hard is a skill that will set you apart in all parts of you life.

Time Management

Our job is high speed.

If someone tells you to get something from the truck you better move to get it.

There’s no dilly-dallying in an emergency.

You also need to learn to prioritize tasks. You have limited time in a day. Figure out the most important assignments and knock them out first.

EMS will teach you that quick.

And if it doesn’t, it’ll spit you right back out.

Directness

This one is a skill you might not have considered.

But it’s necessary in this kind of work. You have to be concise when talking with patients. You can’t pull your punches.

You need to be direct with your words and get your point across.

Most of us aren’t accustomed to that anymore.

Leadership

First responders are often seen as leaders in all fields of life.

You see them coaching their kids sports teams. Groups they’re in look to them for guidance.

And for good reason. These skills set us apart from others. Our jobs are hard but they train us well.

THE WORLDS BEST SCHEDULE

Imagine only working 10 days a month.

That’s only 120 days a year.

To put that in perspective, most 9-5 jobs are five days a week. With 52 weeks in a year that’s 260 days a year.

You’re literally working less than half the days of a normal job!

That’s the schedule most emts and paramedics have.

Full Days At Home

And those days at home are partial days. There’s no coming home at 6 at night with enough time to eat, sleep, and do it again.

No these are full days.

Most schedules are 24 hours of work, then 24 hours at home. Do that a few times in a row and you get a multiple day break.

Normally they are 4-6 days off.

The exact schedule depends on where you work. There’s lots of different ways to split the schedule.

There are so many advantages to this schedule.

If you want, you can work more. Overtime is always available if you want it and it’s a quick way to make some extra money.

It’s also easier to take some vacations. You can get a whole week off by taking one day of vacation.

And lots of firefighters use those days to work second jobs. Or just dive really deep into their hobbies.

Even we get to have some fun sometimes.

Jobs Are Available Now

EMS is an awesome career to get into early in life. Especially if college isn’t on your to-do list.

And right now it’s never been easier to get into a fire department. There are fewer people applying each year so your chances only get better.

You’ll have a great schedule and good pay.

More time off than most other fields.

And you’re learning valuable life skills.

If this sounds like you, start by looking up EMT and Fire classes at your community college.

And if you’re still undecided you can find more of my articles here.

Good luck out there!

Oh, and here’s a great video on some other jobs you can find as an EMT or paramedic