Becoming a Paramedic via Online Education?
At the very least, online education can help you lay a foundation and/or open up alternate career paths.
Virginia College, one of the highest ranking online
schools,
is a US school (accredited) offering medical courses to train individuals
to become top-notch
physicians,
doctors,
nurses,
dentists,
surgeons,
medical assistants,
medical professionals, etc.
Currently, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics there are 217,920 people employed as
emergency medical technicians and paramedics alone in America, and their average annual salary is
$33,020.
Medical assistants make on average $29,450
per year and there are about 495,970
of them employed today.
Colleges and universities like Virginia College that provide online education are successfully launching workers into
this
field.
Typical Work Locations for a Paramedic
- Emergency Department of Health Care
- Hospitals
- Oil Rigs
- High Traffic Areas
- Sporting Events
- Concerts
- Casinos
- Natural Disaster Sights
- Ambulances
- Commercial Flights
Potential Advantages and Benefits of Working as a Paramedic
- Great starting pay
- Serving your country
- Paid training hourly wage & course expenses
- Generous paid leave time
- Medical, dental and vision care
- Basic and supplemental employee life
- Basic and supplemental accidental death and dismemberment
- Short term and long term disability
- Employee assistance program
- Holiday pay
Potential Drawbacks
- Working outdoors in inclement weather
- Working in dangerous traffic conditions
- Be exposed to contagious conditions
- Sit on call for emergencies
- Having to work odd hours
- Working on the weekends
- Working on holidays
- Long shifts
- Work in potentially dangerous law enforcement situations
- Working with difficult patients
Related Professions to Consider
- EMT Paramedic
- Product Development Manager
- Firefighter/Paramedic
- Paramedic
- Cardiac Stress Technician
- Director Of Online Instruction-Health Professions
- Nationally Registered Paramedic
- Critical Care Paramedic
- EMS Paramedic Program Director
- Instructor Coordinator
Possible Interview Questions When Applying to be a Paramedic
- Tell me about a time you dealt with a stressful situation?
- Make sure you are ending this stressful situation with a positve result ?
- Can you keep high levels of concentration at any time of day or night?
- Make sure to give an example such as working an overnight shift or staying up late to study?
- Tell me about a situation you have been in that required quick thinking?
- If you have a life or death example that would be terrific but don't make one up ?
- Why do you want to become a paramedic That one has to come from the heart?
- What was your greatest failure?
- Why you choose paramedic?
- Why do you feel that a job as a paramedic is right for you?
Common Collaborating Professions
- EMT
- Doctor
- Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Registered Nurse
- Surgeon
- Police Officer
- Forensic Detective
- Forensic Analyst
- Forensic Pathologist
Paramedic Training books
Paramedic (More) Popular books
Potential Companies to Work For
Common College Majors
- Medical Informatics
- Nursing
- Nutrition Food Science
- Occupational Therapy
- Pharmacy
- Physical Therapy
- Psychology
- Radiologic Science
- Respiratory Therapy
- Physician Assistant
Paramedic Salary Information
Category: Emergency medical technicians and paramedics
| Total # Employed in the US |
217,920 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$15.88/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $9.31 |
$11.37 |
$14.42 |
$18.87 |
$24.74 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$33,020 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $19,360 |
$23,650 |
$30,000 |
$39,250 |
$51,460 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 1.2% |
17.6% |
44.7% |
21.0% |
12.5% |
1.7% |
1.2% |
|
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Indiana |
$22.78/hr
|
$47,380
|
| Alaska |
$22.42/hr
|
$46,630
|
| Tennessee |
$20.78/hr
|
$43,220
|
| Mississippi |
$19.79/hr
|
$41,150
|
| Oklahoma |
$18.67/hr
|
$38,830
|
| Kansas |
$18.59/hr
|
$38,670
|
| Iowa |
$18.45/hr
|
$38,380
|
| District of Columbia |
$18.02/hr
|
$37,470
|
| Missouri |
$17.82/hr
|
$37,070
|
| New York |
$17.53/hr
|
$36,470
|
| Delaware |
$17.53/hr
|
$36,470
|
| Connecticut |
$17.35/hr
|
$36,080
|
| Colorado |
$16.87/hr
|
$35,090
|
| North Dakota |
$16.81/hr
|
$34,950
|
| North Carolina |
$16.79/hr
|
$34,920
|
| Massachusetts |
$16.2/hr
|
$33,700
|
| Virginia |
$16.08/hr
|
$33,440
|
| New Hampshire |
$15.69/hr
|
$32,630
|
| Alabama |
$15.44/hr
|
$32,120
|
| Nebraska |
$15.34/hr
|
$31,910
|
| Hawaii |
$15.34/hr
|
$31,900
|
| Washington |
$15.25/hr
|
$31,720
|
| Montana |
$15.25/hr
|
$31,730
|
| Oregon |
$15.2/hr
|
$31,620
|
| Idaho |
$15.18/hr
|
$31,580
|
| Wisconsin |
$15.02/hr
|
$31,230
|
| Guam |
$14.81/hr
|
$30,800
|
| Puerto Rico |
$14.77/hr
|
$30,730
|
| Wyoming |
$14.74/hr
|
$30,650
|
| Ohio |
$14.58/hr
|
$30,330
|
| Michigan |
$14.52/hr
|
$30,210
|
| Arkansas |
$14.43/hr
|
$30,020
|
| Utah |
$14.38/hr
|
$29,900
|
| Kentucky |
$14.28/hr
|
$29,690
|
| Louisiana |
$14.06/hr
|
$29,240
|
| Pennsylvania |
$13.98/hr
|
$29,070
|
| California |
$13.76/hr
|
$28,630
|
| Maine |
$13.51/hr
|
$28,110
|
| Maryland |
$13.5/hr
|
$28,080
|
| South Carolina |
$13.45/hr
|
$27,980
|
| New Mexico |
$13.25/hr
|
$27,560
|
| South Dakota |
$12.97/hr
|
$26,980
|
| Nevada |
$12.6/hr
|
$26,210
|
| West Virginia |
$12.47/hr
|
$25,930
|
| New Jersey |
$12.24/hr
|
$25,470
|
Category: Medical assistants
| Total # Employed in the US |
495,970 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$14.16/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $9.98 |
$11.57 |
$13.77 |
$16.23 |
$19.21 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$29,450 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $20,750 |
$24,060 |
$28,650 |
$33,760 |
$39,970 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 4.8% |
29.0% |
37.8% |
16.3% |
9.1% |
1.6% |
1.4% |
|
Medical assistants — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| Florida |
$18.17/hr
|
$37,790
|
| Alaska |
$17.5/hr
|
$36,400
|
| Missouri |
$16.58/hr
|
$34,490
|
| Delaware |
$16.44/hr
|
$34,200
|
| Nebraska |
$15.8/hr
|
$32,870
|
| North Dakota |
$15.75/hr
|
$32,760
|
| New York |
$15.73/hr
|
$32,730
|
| Connecticut |
$15.65/hr
|
$32,550
|
| Indiana |
$15.47/hr
|
$32,180
|
| Puerto Rico |
$15.45/hr
|
$32,140
|
| Tennessee |
$15.42/hr
|
$32,070
|
| Virginia |
$15.37/hr
|
$31,960
|
| Oklahoma |
$15.21/hr
|
$31,640
|
| Mississippi |
$15.18/hr
|
$31,570
|
| Colorado |
$14.89/hr
|
$30,980
|
| North Carolina |
$14.7/hr
|
$30,570
|
| District of Columbia |
$14.69/hr
|
$30,550
|
| Kansas |
$14.59/hr
|
$30,340
|
| Arkansas |
$14.46/hr
|
$30,070
|
| Michigan |
$14.17/hr
|
$29,480
|
| Louisiana |
$13.96/hr
|
$29,050
|
| Iowa |
$13.9/hr
|
$28,910
|
| Hawaii |
$13.84/hr
|
$28,780
|
| Utah |
$13.78/hr
|
$28,670
|
| Montana |
$13.68/hr
|
$28,460
|
| Washington |
$13.66/hr
|
$28,410
|
| Oregon |
$13.63/hr
|
$28,340
|
| New Jersey |
$13.58/hr
|
$28,240
|
| Idaho |
$13.55/hr
|
$28,180
|
| New Mexico |
$13.54/hr
|
$28,160
|
| Kentucky |
$13.16/hr
|
$27,380
|
| South Carolina |
$13.16/hr
|
$27,370
|
| Wisconsin |
$13.04/hr
|
$27,120
|
| Wyoming |
$12.99/hr
|
$27,020
|
| Guam |
$12.95/hr
|
$26,940
|
| Ohio |
$12.79/hr
|
$26,590
|
| Pennsylvania |
$12.78/hr
|
$26,580
|
| Maine |
$12.78/hr
|
$26,580
|
| New Hampshire |
$12.77/hr
|
$26,560
|
| Maryland |
$12.73/hr
|
$26,470
|
| California |
$12.55/hr
|
$26,100
|
| South Dakota |
$12.48/hr
|
$25,950
|
| Massachusetts |
$12.26/hr
|
$25,490
|
| Nevada |
$12.17/hr
|
$25,310
|
| West Virginia |
$12.11/hr
|
$25,190
|
| Alabama |
$11.86/hr
|
$24,670
|
Category: Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
| Total # Employed in the US |
19,570 |
| Average Hourly Wage: |
$11.13/hr |
| Hourly Wage Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $7.69 |
$8.72 |
$10.66 |
$12.81 |
$15.3 |
|
| Average Yearly Salary |
$23,140 |
| Yearly Salary Range |
| PERCENTILE |
| 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| $15,990 |
$18,140 |
$22,180 |
$26,640 |
$31,820 |
|
| Employment Demographics |
| % OF WORKERS WITH |
| < High School Diploma |
High School Diploma |
Some College |
Associate Degree |
Bachelor Degree |
Master Degree |
Doctoral Degree |
| 15.0% |
38.6% |
27.4% |
6.4% |
11.6% |
0.3% |
0.6% |
|
Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians — WAGES BY STATE, SORTED BY SALARY
| STATE | Average Hourly Wage | Average Annual Salary |
|---|
| California |
$14.35/hr
|
$29,850
|
| Colorado |
$13/hr
|
$27,040
|
| Mississippi |
$12.89/hr
|
$26,820
|
| Virginia |
$12.8/hr
|
$26,620
|
| Missouri |
$12.77/hr
|
$26,570
|
| Delaware |
$12.38/hr
|
$25,750
|
| Hawaii |
$12.16/hr
|
$25,290
|
| Oregon |
$11.93/hr
|
$24,820
|
| South Dakota |
$11.78/hr
|
$24,510
|
| District of Columbia |
$11.58/hr
|
$24,090
|
| North Dakota |
$11.58/hr
|
$24,100
|
| Iowa |
$11.51/hr
|
$23,930
|
| Montana |
$11.45/hr
|
$23,810
|
| Massachusetts |
$11.3/hr
|
$23,510
|
| Kentucky |
$11.23/hr
|
$23,350
|
| Kansas |
$11.23/hr
|
$23,370
|
| Oklahoma |
$11.21/hr
|
$23,320
|
| North Carolina |
$11.11/hr
|
$23,110
|
| Arkansas |
$11/hr
|
$22,880
|
| Wisconsin |
$10.87/hr
|
$22,610
|
| Louisiana |
$10.69/hr
|
$22,230
|
| Maryland |
$10.61/hr
|
$22,070
|
| Utah |
$10.57/hr
|
$21,990
|
| Nebraska |
$10.54/hr
|
$21,920
|
| Wyoming |
$10.51/hr
|
$21,860
|
| Pennsylvania |
$10.51/hr
|
$21,860
|
| Tennessee |
$10.47/hr
|
$21,770
|
| New Hampshire |
$10.17/hr
|
$21,150
|
| Connecticut |
$10.04/hr
|
$20,870
|
| New Mexico |
$9.91/hr
|
$20,620
|
| Ohio |
$9.8/hr
|
$20,380
|
| Nevada |
$9.72/hr
|
$20,210
|
| Idaho |
$9.63/hr
|
$20,040
|
| Washington |
$9.59/hr
|
$19,950
|
| South Carolina |
$9.49/hr
|
$19,730
|
| Michigan |
$9.33/hr
|
$19,400
|
| Maine |
$9.13/hr
|
$18,990
|
| Alabama |
$8.77/hr
|
$18,230
|
