EMS Recruiting - Pay-Benefits

Austin-Travis County EMS offers a competitive salary structure for our medics throughout the lifetime of their career. Our medics are currently some of the highest paid in the state of Texas. We are a 3rd service provider in the City of Austin, so EMS is offered a variety of City employee benefits as outlined on this page. Read through our list of benefits and see what makes us one of the top EMS agencies in the country. 

Salary

Medic wages are set by the Meet and Confer Agreement between the Austin-Travis County EMS Employees Association and The City of Austin. Our new agreement becomes effective on October 1, 2022, and is a one-year contract. 

View current pay scale. 

Cadet Pay

All newly hired Cadet-Field and Cadet-Communications employees will be paid $21.00 an hour based on a 40 hour work week during the 10- week Academy. Lateral Clinical Specialist-Field cadets are paid at the rate of a Clinical Specialist-Field immediately upon hire which is currently $30.03 an hour based on a 42 hour work week.

Graduating Medic Pay

Upon graduation from the Academy, cadets will transition to a Medic-Field or Medic-Communications pay schedule based on a 42 hour work week. All newly graduated Medics will start at a base pay rate of $22.00 per hour. EMT-P's/LP's will also receive Paramedic Pay while serving at the rank of Medic, as outlined below. **Lateral Clinical Specialist-Field cadets will graduate to Clinical Specialist-Field and will resume base pay at that rank (currently $30.03 an hour) as reflected in our pay scale. (Clinical Specialists are not eligible for the additional monthly Paramedic Pay incentive.)**

Incentive Pay

In addition to base salary, Austin - Travis County EMS offers several forms of incentive pay to qualifying medics. These pay incentives are stackable (medics may qualify for more than one pay incentive at a time). Below is a list of our most common pay incentives:

• Paramedic Pay
  • Paramedics serving at the rank of Medic will receive a $200 monthly stipend. (Stipend ceases upon promotion to Clinical Specialist rank.) 
• Bilingual Translation Pay $150/month
• Education Incentive Pay
  • Bachelor's degree $220/month 
  • Master's degree $300/month 
• Special Operations Qualified Pay $175/month
• Qualified Aeromedical Communications Specialist Pay $150/month

Field and Communications Shift Schedules

• Communications Shift Schedules

• Field Shift Schedules

Benefits Overview

Health, dental and retirement benefits will begin on the first day of the EMS Cadet Academy. Austin-Travis County EMS employees are eligible to enroll in the following benefits:

• Medical 
• Vision
• Dental
• Life insurance
• Short term disability
• Long term disability
• FLEXTRA Health Care
• FLEXTRA Dependent Care
• Group Legal Plan
• Wellness Program
• Employee Assistance Program
• Childcare Programs
• Commuter Program
• Retirement (mandatory)
• Tuition Reimbursement: Up to $2,000 per year
• Deferred Compensation

Additionally, the following four types of coverage are offered at no cost to the employee:

• CDHP with HSA (employee only)
• Dental (employee only)
• Basic life insurance
• Short term disability

Medical Benefits

A Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) is offered at no cost for employee only coverage. PPO and HMO medical plans are also offered, with contributions made by the employee per pay period (every two weeks) as follows:

Other benefits:

• Vacation Leave: 7.50 hours accrued per pay period (24 pay periods)
• Sick Leave: 7.16 hours accrued per pay period (24 pay periods)
• Exceptional (City observed Holiday) Leave: 8.4 hours accrued
• Personal Holiday: 16 hours annually
• Military Leave: 15 days annually (126 hours)
• Emergency Leave: 3 days (12 hours per day) for immediate family
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Uniforms and associated equipment provided, including ballistic gear and bunker gear

For a complete list of benefits, please visit the City of Austin Human Resources Department website.