(KERO) — The country is facing a shortage of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that EMT jobs are one of the lowest-paying jobs in health care. The national median average for EMTs is slightly more than $17 per hour, which is about $35,000 a year. The Labor Department says low pay is the reason a third of EMTs left their jobs in 2021.
The American Ambulance Association says the turnover rate for part-time EMTs is 39 percent. 55 percent of vacant positions remain unfilled.
