This right here. I took an EMT course at the local community college in 1999, then learned that the pay was minimum wage. Never got a job as an EMT because I needed more money to live.
Been this guy in a place where we were even written out of labor laws and started in the early 90's. When I started I made $6.50/hr and worked 168 hrs per two week rotation as an EMT. As. paramedic after I paid for my own education I got a raise to $8. It was brutal and we were the highest paid in our area. Some were getting $0.60/hr standby and $50 per call in rural areas where you would at that time get a call or two a week.