1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 15
Summary
Taysha Soto, 29, plans to leave New York City EMS after two years, saying her pay no longer covers life in the city despite the job’s intensity and importance.
About $56,000 a year with heavy overtime leaves Soto taking home roughly $1,500 every two weeks, while child-care costs for her two toddlers often rise with the extra hours she works.
Soto, who pays $932 a month for affordable housing on Staten Island and sometimes cleans homes on days off, says the financial strain has turned burnout into an exit decision.
Her case reflects a broader problem across the city’s roughly 3,500 EMTs and paramedics, raising pressure on Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pledge to make New York more affordable while maintaining strong public services.