Post job

Firefighter/paramedic vs fire fighter

The differences between firefighter/paramedics and fire fighters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a fire fighter has an average salary of $56,792, which is higher than the $51,764 average annual salary of a firefighter/paramedic.

The top three skills for a firefighter/paramedic include patients, CPR and EMT. The most important skills for a fire fighter are CPR, public safety, and non-emergency calls.

Firefighter/paramedic vs fire fighter overview

Firefighter/ParamedicFire Fighter
Yearly salary$51,764$56,792
Hourly rate$24.89$27.30
Growth rate7%6%
Number of jobs33,5343,398
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Average age3649
Years of experience-8

What does a firefighter/paramedic do?

Firefighters/paramedics handle emergency triage, ensure patient stability, and acute medical assessment. These professionals provide emergency medical care to infant, child, and adult trauma and medical patients based on assessment findings. They manage paramedic/EMT continuing education programs. They are trained in HAZMAT response and do exercises on a monthly basis. It is their responsibility to coordinate blood-borne infection and CPR yearly skills training and re-certification for county volunteers and employees.

What does a fire fighter do?

Firefighters are responsible for controlling, putting out fires, and responding to emergencies involving life, property, and the environment. They operate firetrucks and other emergency vehicles, along with track down and save victims in burning buildings or other emergency situations. Also, they tend to the sick or injured individuals and produce written reports on emergency incidents. Additionally, they distinguish fires using water hoses and pumps as well as fire extinguishers, scrub and maintain equipment, and execute drills and physical fitness training.

Firefighter/paramedic vs fire fighter salary

Firefighter/paramedics and fire fighters have different pay scales, as shown below.

Firefighter/ParamedicFire Fighter
Average salary$51,764$56,792
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $66,000Between $35,000 And $89,000
Highest paying CitySan Rafael, CAEast Chicago, IN
Highest paying stateCaliforniaIndiana
Best paying companyArgonne National Laboratory1 8 3 Lanes
Best paying industryGovernmentTechnology

Differences between firefighter/paramedic and fire fighter education

There are a few differences between a firefighter/paramedic and a fire fighter in terms of educational background:

Firefighter/ParamedicFire Fighter
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 31%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianFire Science And Protection
Most common college--

Firefighter/paramedic vs fire fighter demographics

Here are the differences between firefighter/paramedics' and fire fighters' demographics:

Firefighter/ParamedicFire Fighter
Average age3649
Gender ratioMale, 85.2% Female, 14.8%Male, 81.9% Female, 18.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 2.3% White, 76.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage8%7%

Differences between firefighter/paramedic and fire fighter duties and responsibilities

Firefighter/paramedic example responsibilities.

  • Teach the public about fire safety, precept and instruct both paramedic and EMT students during there rides with the department.
  • Participate in continuing education opportunities for up-keeping of EMT certifications and recent medical procedures.
  • Train in HAZMAT response and perform monthly exercises.
  • Provide 9-1-1- BLS and ALS attention to the residents of the city of Chicago.
  • Respond to but not limit to fire, medical, haz-mat, aircraft emergency.
  • Identify persons requiring immediate care, provide life-saving ALS & BLS procedures for emergency care.
  • Show more

Fire fighter example responsibilities.

  • Lead infantry teams in combat operations, providing tactical and technical guidance to subordinates and professional support to superiors.
  • Administer medical care to injure people, providing CPR, first aid, as well as other emergency responses.
  • Task with testing SCBA, centrifugal pump systems, foam induction systems, structural gear inspections and HAZMAT equipment.
  • Cut and clear brush, dig trenches in order to create fire lines, using axes, chainsaws or shovels.
  • Maintain SCBA equipment and records.
  • Serve as paramedic on ALS transport ambulance.
  • Show more

Firefighter/paramedic vs fire fighter skills

Common firefighter/paramedic skills
  • Patients, 7%
  • CPR, 6%
  • EMT, 6%
  • Fire Suppression, 5%
  • Medical Services, 5%
  • Firefighting, 5%
Common fire fighter skills
  • CPR, 7%
  • Public Safety, 7%
  • Non-Emergency Calls, 6%
  • Fire Prevention, 5%
  • Fire Suppression, 4%
  • Hazmat, 4%

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs