Ambulance Driver Job Description, Career as an Ambulance Driver, Salary, Employment

Education and Training: License and training

Salary: Median—$24,722 per year

Employment Outlook: Excellent

Definition and Nature of the Work

Ambulance drivers and other ambulance personnel are often the first members of the medical team to reach a person in need of medical attention. Ambulance drivers operate vehicles that carry sick people and accident victims to hospitals. Ambulance drivers work for hospitals and for police, fire, and community first aid squads. They also work for private ambulance companies that provide emergency or invalid carrier service. Invalid carrier service is provided in a variety of situations, such as bringing a recovering patient from a hospital to a nursing home. In some communities, a large percentage of the ambulance drivers are volunteers. Some drivers, however, are salaried.

Ambulance drivers are trained to give basic life support to ill or injured people. Paramedics can give advanced life support under the direct supervision of medical professionals. (© Liz Hafalia/San Francisco Chronicle/Corbis.)

Ambulance drivers are often trained to serve as emergency medical technicians (EMTs). EMTs are able to give certain kinds of emergency care, which is called basic life support, when they reach a patient. Various levels of EMT training provide workers with basic, intermediate, or advanced skills. The most highly skilled EMTs are called paramedics.

Education and Training Requirements

Ambulance drivers must be at least eighteen years old, licensed to drive a bus, and have a good driving record. Some are required to have the Red Cross first-aid training certificate. To become an EMT or paramedic as well, ambulance drivers must complete a formal training program and become certified. They must be recertified every two years.

Getting the Job

You can apply directly to your local ambulance service or hospital for a job. If you are in school, ask your school's placement office for help in finding a job.

Advancement Possibilities and Employment Outlook

Ambulance drivers can advance to become EMTs or paramedics with the appropriate training and certification.

The employment of ambulance drivers, EMTs, and paramedics is expected to grow much faster than average through 2014. Municipal government and private ambulance services will provide the best opportunities for qualified ambulance drivers.

Working Conditions

Ambulance drivers usually work forty hours a week. They work irregular hours including nights, weekends, and holidays. Since many ambulance calls involve matters of life and death, drivers work under intense pressure. Ambulance drivers may have to perform physically strenuous duties. The work is demanding and requires a high degree of commitment.

Earnings and Benefits

In early 2006 ambulance drivers earned a median salary of $24,722. Benefits usually include paid holidays and vacations, health insurance, and retirement plans.