So I'm not an EMT yet but my father is an EMT-I and instructor and I hold a Sr. level certification from the NSP and am currently working on becoming an instructor for them as Wilderness first aid is my cup of tea and work with a bunch of EMTs and Medics.

Hopefully this will be of some use but if not, feel free to ignore it.

My dad worked for a small agency and was making 15 an hour as an EMT I 20 years ago up in MA.

All my buddies that are medics started as basics and worked their way up. Occasionally one has lots of down time at the squad house I hear.
Two out of my three medic buddies are in PA school.
One is also the designated medic for the local SWAT team.
Another is on the local helicopter ALS squad.
Once two out of three of my kids are in school I plan on getting my B and working my way up to at least I, maybe to medic if that's my cup of tea.

If you are going to be living in an area with a paid ski patrol you can challenge that test after you have your B and work at the mountain part time during the winter for added cash. Not a major source of income but I make ten bucks an hour in the winter to ski and hang out with my buddies. Couldn't live off that alone but my two nights a week are my ammo budget for the summer .

It's best to blame my misspelled words on autocorrect.