->   How is the pay? Years ago, I talked to a co-worker who used to be a
-> paramedic until he threw out his back hauling a very obese woman. I 
remember
-> him saying they made him work long hours. If I was being paid a decent
-> hourly wage, I would not mind long hours. Are paramedics paid by the hour 
or
-> a salary?
I work for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.
Starting pay for firefighters is about $34,000.  We send the firefighters to
paramedic training on salary.  A full pay firefighter paramedic earns $65,000
and there is LOTS of overtime pay available (as an extreme example, last year 
a
FF/PM earned over $100,000 in overtime in addition to his salary.)
I am a Captain Paramedic. I have been a paramedic since 1974. Base salary of
about $80,000. With overtime, I have earned over $40,000 thus far this year.
Los Angeles City Fire isn't close to being the highest paid department in
California.
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