Who makes more, a firefighter or a paramedic?
I am looking into becoming one of these after high school and am wondering about the salary difference between the two. and any other information about the two would be nice 
thank you.
Update:I live in Austin Texas
Comments
According to the US Department of Labor:
Firefighter - median $41,190 with 50% in the range of $29,550 to $54,120; the highest 10% earn $66,140+
Paramedic - median $27,070 with 50% in the range of $21,290 to $35,210; the highest 10% earn $45,280+
As you can see, there's no question there. There would be very few firefighters earning 6-figures. Those few would be large city department chiefs.
Many paramedics and firefighters work considerable overtime hours which can increase their pay substantially.
The best source of basic information about any occupation is the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the US Department of Labor. It's online at http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Paramedic Firefighter Salary
Try this, become a firefighter / paramedic..
this is a guy who does firefighting, and alot of times also rides a rescue/ambulance as a full paramedic also. they make more, in most cases than either "just" a firefighter or "just" a paramedic.
Also alot of departments are looking for that extra from the firefighters they hire. they will usually have a much better chance of getting a job than a firefighter / EMT or a plain firefighter.
in fact more and more fire departments require paramedic certiification to get hired.
Firefighter Salary Texas
Good luck with trying to even get a firefighting position. They are difficult to come by as the slots only open up when someone retires or dies. Common for serious applicants to be placed on the hiring list for a decade before being accepted in; in the meantime you need to think of something else to do. Take that as a hint as to how satisfying the job is. Paramedics on the other hand have plenty of openings and constantly require new hires as the turnover in this field is very high.
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RE:
Who makes more, a firefighter or a paramedic?
I am looking into becoming one of these after high school and am wondering about the salary difference between the two. and any other information about the two would be nice
thank you.
If its money that gets you fired up... don't do either.. both are not high paying but high stress.. especially the paramedics... and the health risks... your young... it sounds all exciting but trust me, as you get a little older and are on the job ten years, you will wish you had done something different.... paramedic is a high burn out job if your in a city.... firefighters... well, yea, they are at risk as well... but a good many of them do a lot of cooking, working out and watching movies at the fire halls... I know because two of my best friends are firefighters and I have been on some ride alongs... ate lots of food, watched movies, at popcorn... no calls until after the bar... then it was in and out for about four hours.. no fires... just 911 calls.... but.... when there is something big, its dangerous... and firefighters do risk their lives when they do have to fight a fire.... but it isn't like back draft the movie.....
I understand your fascination with both professions..... but if your someone who might burn out from stress from the same old 911 calls, getting blood all over you.. spit (aid, Hep C etc).... losing people (dying in your care)... etc.... then don't be a medic... if your someone who likes to take it easy but doesn't mind a lot of danger on occasion and isn'tafraid of the health risks of lung cancer as a firefighter....and if you dont mind a middle class or lower existence than by all means to to it.... but if you have any type of academic brain... I suggest you go into technology and learn mandarin.... thats the future.... thats going to be the dream for everyone as the world as we know it economy wise... is done.... young people have to make smart decisions about their futures.... this recession isnt something we are just going to pull out of... everything has changed... it doesnt work that way anymore... and services... if anything are going to be cut.
I am a paramedic and my husband is a fire medic but when he was just a straight fire fighter he made less than i did but now that he is a fire medic he makes more medic is so the way to go its a year and half of school and easy to get hired any were you can work at any ambulance company and at a hospital but becoming a firefighter is hard really hard it took my husband over 3 years to get picked up and now most departments want you to have your medic cert its allot of extra stuff
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In the Dallas, TX area, a firefighter/paramedic can start in the mid $40k to low $50k range. They are paid nicely. Unfortunately, there is very stiff competition for these jobs. It's not unusual to test against several hundred people for 10 or 15 jobs.
It's not about salary, it's about dealing with the jobs themselves.
Both are extremely high-stress careers, requiring you to be on call often and around emotionally taxing circumstances all the time. Firefighters must be prepared to risk their own lives regularly to save others in very dangerous situations. It takes serious commitment to do that. EMTs don't put themselves into as much danger directly, but an unstable injured and distraught person is liable to do anything, including fight first-responders in rare cases.
You must be mentally prepared to do these things before worrying about petty things like salary.