Emergency Medical Technician

Paramedic Career Outlook

Careers in EMS continue to provide one of the highest numbers of new job openings. Opportunities will vary by geographic region and by technical specialty, but both large urban and rural settings show strong employment needs. Graduates work in many settings; public and private emergency services (fire department and ambulance companies), hospitals, clinics and other specialty areas (see Links section). While recent economic dips have affected the job market we are gratified to see an upswing in EMS hires and have a 100% hire rate of our grads. 

According to the Bureau of Employment and Labor Statistics from January 2014, employment of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics is projected to grow 23 percent from 2012 to 2022, much faster than the average for all occupations. 

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm

Salaries & Wages:

Paramedic salaries range from $50,000 in private industry to $100,000 or more in public service.  

Career Advancement Opportunities:

Paramedics may choose private ambulance service or transition into the fire department as a Fire Fighter Paramedic. Additionally, there are other venues that utilize EMS employees – please see our Links section below. Mt. SAC offers an A.S. degree in Emergency Medical Services. Additionally,our Fire Technology Department has begun a partnership with Southern Illinois University (on-site) to develop a Bachelors of Science degree in Fire Technology; the perfect blend to round out the EMS/Fire professional seeking the type of resume for career advancement!

Personal and Technical Characteristics:

All healthcare careers require people with strong communication skills, an interest in and knowledge of human sciences, and an ability to perform a variety of specialized skills. Individuals must be able to work independently, work well in teams, and manage many tasks at the same time.

Our National Standards Curriculum from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration also mandates strong communication skills and mastery of  English language comprehension 

Your field internship will also demand that you can display strong scene organization and command, situational awareness, accountability and the ability to deal with high stress situations. ***

Employer Preferences:

In today's healthcare system, which serves many cultures, bilingual and culturally sensitive employees are highly valued. Employers also seek individuals who understand the needs of patients and who provide a high quality of customer service. Reliability and dedication are two important personal characteristics required by employers.   * Note regarding professional appearance : Employers in EMS, fire departments or law enforcement do not look upon recent trends in “body art” and piercings favorably. If you are seeking a career in these fields we would recommend against acquiring visible tattoos. Additionally, ear piercings on male candidates and multiple ear piercings on female candidates are discouraged by most employers, as well as “non-standard” facial piercings (nose, eyebrow, lip, etc).