Missouri EMT and Paramedic Careers - MO

By an allied health world contributing writer
Published: January, 20 2010

In Missouri, as it is said in the state motto, the welfare of the people shall be the supreme law. If so, one way the state demonstrates this is by maintaining one of the highest concentration of emergency medical technicians (EMT) in the nation, secondly on to West Virginia (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics). According to a 2008 BLS report, 7,250, or .265% of Missouri’s working population were EMTs or paramedics.

Further demonstrating the state’s concern for qualified EMS staff, Jefferson City’s 330 EMTs were in the nation’s fifth most concentrated city for EMTs (.458% of the employed population). Jefferson City EMTs earned an annual mean wage of $31,390, compared to $33,390 for the entire state. There is rigorous training involved to become an EMT or paramedic in this state. To become a paramedic, one must first undergo Missouri EMT training and become certified as an EMT.

Many EMTs and paramedics are also firefighters or police officers. When they are dedicated EMTs or paramedics, these life-saving pre-hospital medical specialists will often work intimately with firefighters and police officers to extract victims from burning houses or wrecked cars and to keep a curious public away from a scared and exhausted patient.

EMTs who will drive an ambulance must have a valid driver’s license (not necessarily from Missouri) and will learn how to conduct the vehicle safely and quickly from the 911 call to the hospital or clinic.