 Career
Path Forecast
Employment of
emergency medical technicians and paramedics is expected to grow by grow
9 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is about as fast as the average
for all occupations. Growth in this occupation is due in large part to
increasing call volume due to aging population. As a large segment of
the population -- aging members of the baby boom generation -- becomes
more likely to have medical emergencies, demand will increase for EMTs
and paramedics. In addition, the time that EMTs and paramedics must
spend with each patient is increasing as emergency departments across
the country are experiencing overcrowding. As a result, when an
ambulance arrives, it takes longer to transfer the patient from the care
of the EMTs and paramedics to the staff of the emergency department. In
addition, some emergency departments divert ambulances to other
hospitals when they are too busy to take on new patients. As a result,
ambulances may not be able to go to the nearest hospital, which
increases the amount of time spent in transit. Both these factors result
in EMTs and paramedics spending more time with each patient, which means
more workers are needed to meet demand.
In addition, hospitals
are increasingly specializing in treating a particular illness or
injury. This results in more patients needing to be transferred to the
hospital best able to treat them. Most patients must be transferred by
ambulance, so their condition can be monitored en route. Therefore, more
demand for transfers between hospitals increases the demand for the
services of EMTs and paramedics. There also still will be demand
for part-time, volunteer EMTs and paramedics in rural areas and smaller
metropolitan areas.
 Job
prospects should be favorable. Many job openings will arise from growth
and from the need to replace workers who leave the occupation because of
the limited potential for advancement, as well as the modest pay and
benefits in private-sector jobs. In addition, full-time paid EMTs and
paramedics will be needed to replace unpaid volunteers. Emergency
medical service agencies find it increasingly difficult to recruit and
retain unpaid volunteers because of the amount of training and the large
time commitment these positions require. As a result, more paid EMTs and
paramedics are needed.
Competition will be greater for jobs in local government, including
fire, police, and independent third-service rescue squad departments
that tend to have better salaries and benefits. EMTs and paramedics who
have advanced education and certifications should enjoy the most
favorable job prospects, as clients and patients demand higher levels of
care before arriving at the hospital.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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