EMT Employment Opportunities
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) have an expected job growth rate of 24 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This is a much faster growth rate than the average of all occupations. Employment opportunities abound for this career field because the demand for pre-hospital emergency care is growing.
Where are EMT jobs?
Natural disasters, accidents, and health emergencies (such as cardiac arrest or stroke) require that EMTs and Paramedics are available to go to the scene and help people. Hospitals and other medical facilities look to fill enough EMT roles to handle an influx of medical emergencies in times of great need.
EMTs also work on-site for companies. For example, an amusement park might have on-site EMTs to handle medical emergencies quickly. Nursing homes, airports, police tactical teams, fire departments, and dangerous jobs like mining or drilling might all require on-staff EMTs to address medical emergencies as they occur. Waiting for an ambulance might not always be practical in these cases, so an on-staff EMT can mean the difference between life and death.
Looking for EMT employment opportunities can be a combination of searching online for job openings, perusing the employment section of your local newspaper, or walking into hospitals and other organizations to fill out job applications. Look for “EMT” or “certified medical professional” in the job titles and descriptions. An EMT credential might be exactly what the organization needs.
Hospitals are usually the first place that a newly certified EMT will look for a job. This is, of course, a great place to start. Hospital emergency rooms will always have a need for qualified EMTs on their teams.
Expanding the Job Search
It can be a good idea to also expand your employment search outside of the hospital. Which industries might require an on-staff EMT? Check out those companies and look on their employment pages. EMT employment opportunities can be found in some unlikely places.
Finding that first job as an EMT begins by making connections when you are learning in the field. Maybe you will like working in the hospital ER, or perhaps would prefer to work as an EMT for a nursing home or even an amusement park. The choice is ultimately up to you and your career goals. Happy job searching!
