Commonly asked overtime pay law questions about paramedics:
- What Is a Paramedic?
- What is the Salary Range for a Paramedic?
- How Many Paramedics Are Nationally Employed?
- Where Are Most Paramedics Employed?
- Paramedic Overtime Pay Lawsuit News
- What are the Laws for Paramedic Overtime Pay?
- Is a Paramedic Entitled to Overtime Pay?
- Does a Company Have to Pay Overtime Wages to a Paramedic?
- Paramedic Overtime Pay Lawyer Review
What Is a Paramedic?
Paramedics respond to emergency situations. They assess injuries at the scene, administer emergency care, and transport sick or injured people to the proper medical facilities.
What is the Salary Range for a Paramedic?
Depending on the work setting and state where paramedics are employed, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted that in 2016, paramedics made between $21,240 and $56,310, with the average annual salary being approximately $36,000.
How Many Paramedics Are Nationally Employed?
According to the United States Department of Labor, employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation is as follows:
| Employment | Employment RSE* | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Wage | Wage RSE |
| 244,960 | 1.2% | $17.36 | $36,110 | 0.7% |
*RSE: The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
According to the United States Department of Labor, the percentile wage estimates for a paramedic is as follows:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) | 75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $10.21 | $12.43 | $15.71 | $20.53 | $27.07 |
Where Are Most Paramedics Employed?
According to the United States Department of Labor, states with the highest employment level in this occupation are as follows:
| State | Employment | Employment Per Thousand Jobs | Location Quotient | Hourly Mean Wage | Annual Mean Wage |
| Texas | 18,630 | 1.59 | 0.91 | $17.24 | $35,870 |
| California | 18,110 | 1.13 | 0.65 | $18.16 | $37,770 |
| New York | 14,740 | 1.62 | 0.93 | $19.78 | $41,140 |
| Illinois | 12,610 | 2.14 | 1.22 | $20.12 | $41,840 |
| Pennsylvania | 11,770 | 2.05 | 1.17 | $16.10 | $33,480 |
Paramedic Overtime Pay Lawsuit News
Related Paramedic Overtime Pay Lawsuit News
New Jersey Medical Transport Company Pays Back Workers to Settle Overtime Pay Violations
A New Jersey medical transport company recently agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor to resolve claims that the company failed to pay dozens of workers for all their due wages, including overtime pay.
Read All Paramedic News on Overtime Pay Cases and Settlements
What are the Laws for Paramedic Overtime Pay?
Under the Fair Labor Standard Overtime Laws (FLSA), employers are required to pay all non-exempt employees overtime for all hours worked over 40 in the workweek. Paramedics are almost always considered non-exempt and therefore entitled to overtime pay.
Some states have also enacted overtime laws that regulate the number of hours an employee can work within 24 hours before receiving overtime.
Overtime wages should equal one and one-half times a paramedic’s regular rate of pay.
Is a Paramedic Entitled to Overtime Pay?
Paramedics often work far more than 40 hours per week, and in most cases, they are covered under the FLSA. This means that employers must pay these workers one and one half times their regular pay for each hour worked past 40 a week.
Paramedics are often required to be “on call” at all hours of a day and do not get paid for rest breaks and meal breaks, even though they are necessary and required part of the work day. Paramedics should also be paid for attending meetings with supervisors before and after their shift begins. Additionally, many paramedics spend time changing into and out of clothes and equipment for each shift, and they deserve compensation for this time.
In calculating the number of hours worked, the employer must consider all required work performed in all facilities and departments, both before and after a shift, including staff meetings and required paid training. If an employer does not include all of this time in the calculation of hours worked, it can result in the paramedic not receiving all of the required overtime. The employer’s failure to pay required overtime to paramedic can result in a lawsuit for overtime pay.
Does a Company Have to Pay Overtime Wages to a Paramedic?
In most cases, a company is required to pay overtime wages to paramedics, as paramedics are non-exempt under the FLSA.
Employers often violate the FLSA by failing to pay paramedics the required overtime pay. If you are a paramedic who worked more than 40 hours a week but did not receive overtime pay, you may be entitled to file a paramedic overtime pay lawsuit. These lawsuits are often filed by an entire group of paramedics against an employer who violates the FLSA.
If you believe you have been denied overtime pay, your best option is to contact an experienced attorney who can advise you of your rights and determine whether you are eligible for filing a wage claim.
Contact our experienced Paramedic Overtime Pay Lawyers at (855) 754-2795 for a Free Consultation to discuss your case or complete the Free Unpaid Overtime Case Review Form on this page. We will discuss your situation and determine if you have a claim. If you are owed unpaid wages, we will represent you under our No Fee Promise, which means there are never any legal fees or costs unless you receive a settlement.
Paramedic Overtime Pay Lawyer Review
