In order to earn the highest EMT salary, an individual should skip past basic and intermediate training to jump straight to becoming a paramedic. To become eligible for employment in this specific position, a person will have to go through the training and education equivalent of an associate’s degree which is far less than basic and intermediate training requires. However, before an individual can advance to this position they will have to deal with earning an EMT-B (Basic) salary for at least one year because it is required before these future paramedics can actually start the schooling they need to become one. While this may seem like a roadblock and unnecessary step for some people that want to get through the educational process and start earning a sufficient EMT salary, it can provide incredibly beneficial as it can show each and every person exactly what it is like to work in this occupation.
These EMT training programs can last anywhere from 30 to 350 course hours, a wide range that depends on what level of training a student is receiving. In order to go through EMT-B training, an individual will have to dedicate time and effort through 110 hours of work as well as passing an examination at the end to make sure everything they have learned throughout their time has sunken in. Furthermore, for EMT-I (Intermediate) training, these future professionals have to go through 200-300 hours of class time before they will be awarded their chance at taking the examination which if passed will land them the title they have been working to achieve. Lastly, for someone earning an EMT salary to reach the level of receiving a Paramedic salary, they will have to go through all of the training mentioned above plus the remainder it takes to reach the level of an associate’s degree.
Although an EMT salary is nothing like earning the income of a doctor or anesthesiologist, this profession is without a doubt very respectable, honorable and presents plenty of opportunity for making a nice chunk of change especially because of the irregular and long working hours. Employees that are lazy and only do what it takes to remain in this profession can expect to earn something around the bottom ten percentile which is right around $9 an hour. However, for those that are completely dedicated to succeeding and excelling in this occupation, the top ten percentile is a much more realistic goal which sits at just below $24 an hour. Altogether, while there are many factors that come into play when determining an EMT salary, the most effective method to giving oneself the greatest chance at earning an excellent income is to explore all employment opportunities, work extremely hard and gain as much education as possible.