I have two jobs. The first is a 911 shift. I go into work at 6am to start my 24-hour shift. I get a run-down from the shift before me. Then we'll go through the truck to make sure everything is stocked. We check other equipment like our radios and iPad, which we use for dispatch. After that, we do chores and hang out at the station until we get our first 911 call. My second job is a transfers shift. I transfer patients from hospital to hospital or hospital to home after being discharged.
CAREER
Paramedics
Overview
Salary Median (2020)
$46,770
Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)
+6.6% (as fast as the average)
Career
Roadtrip Nation Leaders in This Career
What Paramedics Do
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.
Other Job Titles Paramedics May Have
First Responder, Flight Paramedic
How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work
I start by going through my check-offs for medications, supplies, and equipment. Throughout the day, I do basic transfers. I get to know the patient and learn about their diagnosis. I also do critical care transports. For example, I may take someone on a ventilator from one hospital to another, making sure their breath and heart rates are normal while keeping them hooked up to monitors. I also get emergency calls from people who have fallen, had a stroke or seizure, or taken too much medication.
Tasks & Responsibilities May Include
- Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.
- Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
- Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
- Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
- Comfort and reassure patients.
Education
Level of Education Attained by Paramedics
No data currently available.
Stay tuned! We’ll update this section as soon as data is available.Majors Related to Career
Educational Paths Suggested by Leaders
Suggested Path
High School
Certification / License
Emergency Medical Technology/Technic...
Additional Skills & Experiences That Can Help You Excel
You need to be quick on your feet and be able to adapt to change and variety throughout the day.
Having a four year degree in a related field (while not necessary) can certainly open more doors for you in the future, and may be a path to promotions and career advancement that might otherwise not be available to you.
Getting Started
Recommended First Step for:
High School Students
Finish high school and find either a specialized local school or community college that has an EMS program. Take the necessary prerequisites such as First Responders and Anatomy & Physiology. It is also helpful to perhaps do a citizen ride-along with your local EMS agency to see if it is really something you'd like to do.
Find people who work in the industry you're interested in and ask them about their work. Better yet—see if you can shadow them for a day or a few hours to learn what their day-to-day work is like. I decided I wanted to to become a paramedic after visiting an ambulance station and speaking to the medics about their jobs.
You don't need any prerequisites before enrolling in an EMT program. Start by applying for the EMT program at the school you're interested in. You'll need to complete a certain amount of class hours across a variety of medical subjects, perform skills in class that the instructor will check off, and complete exams. Then you'll do 96 hours of clinical work. You have to be an EMT-Basic before becoming a paramedic. I recommend spending time working as an EMT-Basic before going to paramedic school.
This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
