4 ms·

Unfortunately without anymore context we don't really know what you mean. Is being a paramedic really that bad a job? why?

jedimastert 7y ago
Paramedics are guaranteed to see the absolute worst medical conditions, emergencies, and disasters. They're the front line for most of the messed up stuff in the medical world. Along with that, they are vastly underpaid, especially compared to other medical professionals, and have much more knowledge and training than you'd expect to boot. It's rough.
- busterarm 7y ago
  I knew an NYC paramedic 10 years ago who was making $13/hr.
  - jimmyswimmy 7y ago
    By now he would top out at about 30/hr [1]. Not great for 5 years experience. It seems the sanitation worker... the trash man... gets to about 35/hr over the same period [2]. Both jobs involve heavy lifting and unpleasant odors, but the paramedic training is more demanding and it's hard to describe the daily mental pounding paramedics have to absorb. Paramedic is a fun job but tough. Hard to leave all of that at work. [1] https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/jobs/career-paths/ems-salary-guide.page https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/jobs/career-paths/ems-salary-... [2] https://www.villagevoice.com/2014/10/24/want-to-become-an-nyc-sanitation-worker-if-youre-lucky-itll-only-take-seven-years/ https://www.villagevoice.com/2014/10/24/want-to-become-an-ny... (not the most authoritative source but it was easy to find)
    - Scoundreller 7y ago
      When a sanitation worker, you will work hard every hour. This could be seen as an advantage. I kinda dream of doing it for, say, 4 hours per week: get paid to work out. While a paramedic, you will work pretty hard most of the time on a big city service, but can work up to a more rural service where you can have a lot of downtime.
    - JshWright 7y ago
      That $30/hr is for FDNY EMS. Most paramedics in NYC don't work for FDNY, they work for various private companies, and get paid a lot less.
JshWright 7y ago
I should clarify that I'm referring to paramedics in the US, where the pay is (generally) pretty terrible, in comparison to other medical professionals (<$20/hr isn't uncommon, especially for private, for-profit ambulance companies). As far as the job... it's high stress, often variable hours (which results in poor sleep), it can be physically and emotionally difficult, the erratic schedule makes relationships hard, etc...
oarabbus_ 7y ago
Actually, I think the context he provided is sufficient. Imagine the responsibility of saving lives like an ER doctor, seeing gruesome injuries and deaths on a daily basis, except you have a lot more deaths on your hands (what I mean to say is transporting/attempting to save those who are beyond saving), you have to go out into the field and travel, and your pay is nothing like that of a doctor. Paramedics have an extremely high burnout rate.
Spooky23 7y ago
You get to see really bad shit without support or and often with less respect than you deserve. If that interests you, you want to be a paid firefighter, as you usually get union protection, the camaraderie helps, and you can rotate assignments if it gets to you.
- Scoundreller 7y ago
  Competition is intense for firefighting jobs here. Since they do 24 hour shifts, people are willing to commute for several hours because it’s 7 shifts a month. And you’ll almost always get protected time to sleep during that time. Most of their calls here are medical anyway, where they senselessly send a pumper out. Most of Canada overfunds fire, and underfunds EMS.

jedimastert 7y ago

Paramedics are guaranteed to see the absolute worst medical conditions, emergencies, and disasters. They're the front line for most of the messed up stuff in the medical world. Along with that, they are vastly underpaid, especially compared to other medical professionals, and have much more knowledge and training than you'd expect to boot. It's rough.

busterarm 7y ago
I knew an NYC paramedic 10 years ago who was making $13/hr.
- jimmyswimmy 7y ago
  By now he would top out at about 30/hr [1]. Not great for 5 years experience. It seems the sanitation worker... the trash man... gets to about 35/hr over the same period [2]. Both jobs involve heavy lifting and unpleasant odors, but the paramedic training is more demanding and it's hard to describe the daily mental pounding paramedics have to absorb. Paramedic is a fun job but tough. Hard to leave all of that at work. [1] https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/jobs/career-paths/ems-salary-guide.page https://www1.nyc.gov/site/fdny/jobs/career-paths/ems-salary-... [2] https://www.villagevoice.com/2014/10/24/want-to-become-an-nyc-sanitation-worker-if-youre-lucky-itll-only-take-seven-years/ https://www.villagevoice.com/2014/10/24/want-to-become-an-ny... (not the most authoritative source but it was easy to find)
  - Scoundreller 7y ago
    When a sanitation worker, you will work hard every hour. This could be seen as an advantage. I kinda dream of doing it for, say, 4 hours per week: get paid to work out. While a paramedic, you will work pretty hard most of the time on a big city service, but can work up to a more rural service where you can have a lot of downtime.
  - JshWright 7y ago
    That $30/hr is for FDNY EMS. Most paramedics in NYC don't work for FDNY, they work for various private companies, and get paid a lot less.

JshWright 7y ago

I should clarify that I'm referring to paramedics in the US, where the pay is (generally) pretty terrible, in comparison to other medical professionals (<$20/hr isn't uncommon, especially for private, for-profit ambulance companies). As far as the job... it's high stress, often variable hours (which results in poor sleep), it can be physically and emotionally difficult, the erratic schedule makes relationships hard, etc...

oarabbus_ 7y ago

Actually, I think the context he provided is sufficient. Imagine the responsibility of saving lives like an ER doctor, seeing gruesome injuries and deaths on a daily basis, except you have a lot more deaths on your hands (what I mean to say is transporting/attempting to save those who are beyond saving), you have to go out into the field and travel, and your pay is nothing like that of a doctor. Paramedics have an extremely high burnout rate.

Spooky23 7y ago

You get to see really bad shit without support or and often with less respect than you deserve. If that interests you, you want to be a paid firefighter, as you usually get union protection, the camaraderie helps, and you can rotate assignments if it gets to you.

Scoundreller 7y ago
Competition is intense for firefighting jobs here. Since they do 24 hour shifts, people are willing to commute for several hours because it’s 7 shifts a month. And you’ll almost always get protected time to sleep during that time. Most of their calls here are medical anyway, where they senselessly send a pumper out. Most of Canada overfunds fire, and underfunds EMS.