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Paramedic vs doctor

The differences between paramedics and doctors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a doctor has an average salary of $208,582, which is higher than the $44,640 average annual salary of a paramedic.

The top three skills for a paramedic include patients, acls and CPR. The most important skills for a doctor are patients, customer service, and emergency medicine.

Paramedic vs doctor overview

ParamedicDoctor
Yearly salary$44,640$208,582
Hourly rate$21.46$100.28
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs27,89614,571
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age3648
Years of experience--

What does a paramedic do?

A paramedic is a healthcare professional who provides advanced medical care and emergency treatment to patients in the field. Although they can work on ambulances or hospital emergency rooms, paramedics may work as part of a helicopter's flight crew to transport critically ill patients to a specialized hospital. Paramedics are required to create a patient care report and document the medical care of patients they are treating. Also, paramedics need to follow the guidelines they learned in training from their physician who supervises their work.

What does a doctor do?

A doctor is a medical expert who diagnoses and treats illnesses and injuries, often specializing in particular areas. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting initial interviews and examinations, studying a patient's medical history and laboratory results, providing consultations and care advice, prescribing medication, and referring patients to specialists when necessary. They must also coordinate and maintain an active communication line with nurses, administrators, and technicians for a smooth workflow. Moreover, a doctor must educate patients about their health conditions, helping them understand their situation better.

Paramedic vs doctor salary

Paramedics and doctors have different pay scales, as shown below.

ParamedicDoctor
Average salary$44,640$208,582
Salary rangeBetween $33,000 And $59,000Between $106,000 And $408,000
Highest paying CityArlington, MAGreen Bay, WI
Highest paying stateMassachusettsOhio
Best paying companyMission Regional Medical CenterSaint Luke's Health System
Best paying industryGovernmentHealth Care

Differences between paramedic and doctor education

There are a few differences between a paramedic and a doctor in terms of educational background:

ParamedicDoctor
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 45%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorMedical TechnicianMedicine
Most common college-Duke University

Paramedic vs doctor demographics

Here are the differences between paramedics' and doctors' demographics:

ParamedicDoctor
Average age3648
Gender ratioMale, 68.4% Female, 31.6%Male, 45.8% Female, 54.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.5% Asian, 18.6% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage8%13%

Differences between paramedic and doctor duties and responsibilities

Paramedic example responsibilities.

  • Manage critically ill/injure patients effectively with rapid assessments, aggressive resuscitation, packaging and transport to appropriate definitive care emergency departments.
  • Attend safety training seminars yearly as well as Haz-Mat safety, SCBA training and OSHA regulation training.
  • Perform Phlebotomy and specimen collection duties.
  • Administer emergency medical treatment to patients including CPR, medications/drugs.
  • Provide inter-facility transport to patients who require EKG monitoring, medication infusion and/or ventilator support during transport.
  • Provide medical care for critically ill or injure patients during inter-facility transports to higher level of care facilities.
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Doctor example responsibilities.

  • Manage conditions including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, hypothyroidism, asthma, and GERD.
  • Develop personalize treatment plans, rehabilitation plans, exercise plans, report of findings, nutritional plans and narrative reports.
  • Perform patient x-rays, provide MRI consultations.
  • Perform x-rays of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.
  • Hire, train, educate and monitor staff in HIPPA policies and procedures.
  • Create, update, and maintain confidential patient EHRs in compliance with all HIPAA laws and regulations.
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Paramedic vs doctor skills

Common paramedic skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Acls, 7%
  • CPR, 7%
  • EMS, 6%
  • BLS, 5%
  • EMT, 5%
Common doctor skills
  • Patients, 33%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Emergency Medicine, 5%
  • Surgery, 5%
  • DR, 4%
  • Cleanliness, 3%

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