AMNY
July 21, 2025
What more does a New York City EMT or paramedic need to do to get a living wage? Apparently, saving lives isn’t enough.
For three years now, FDNY EMS Local 2507, the union representing these lifesavers, has been battling City Hall for a new labor contract. Starting pay for EMTs and paramedics — whose primary responsibility is to render immediate medical assistance to New Yorkers in need and rush them to a local hospital — is under $40,000 and rises only to a shade under $60,000 after five years of service.
By contrast, an NYPD officer starts out with an annual salary of $60,000, rising to $126,000 after five years of service; an FDNY firefighter starts out with an annual salary of just over $54,000, rising to $105,000 after 5 ½ years of service.
The disparity between EMTs and paramedics, and their first responder brethren, is bad enough. Last week, the City Council added insult to injury with a bill increasing the hourly wage for app-based delivery workers to $21.44 per hour — which is a 13% higher rate than the $18.94 per hour wage a NYC EMT/paramedic earns.
We’re not saying that the app-based delivery workers do not deserve a raise; they certainly do for the services they provide. But for City Hall to continue to leave life-saving first responders hanging with stagnant wages like this is utterly disgraceful.
Because of this massive wage disparity, the NYC EMS service is undergoing a tremendous brain drain, as many of these lifesavers are forced to quit and find employment with better wages. Indeed, Local 2507 says EMTs quit their posts within five years. It’s equally difficult to recruit new workers to a job that requires high skills for little financial reward. Meanwhile, the number of 911 calls only grows year after year in New York City.