AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life Employment Medical and Fire services

My wife and I have recently been discussing relocating and after she finishes school this fall we are going to try and get some time off from work and visit Belize. We currently live in the US and we are trying to find out what our employment opportunities will be in if we move. She is a registered nurse with experience in oncology, I.D., and currently works as an infusion nurse. I am a firefighter/paramedic. If anyone has any info on the need for nurses, firefighters or paramedics, or can point us in the right direction to find out we would greatly appreciate it.

Lots of need, but very little pay and jobs go to Belizeans first.

I have read a little about work permits and understand that pay in central america is much lower than north america. Is it even feasible for my wife and I to make a living in Belize? I have read that the national fire service is basically just in belize city and that the rest of the country is not very well protected.
We are well aware that we will make much less than we do now, but it is more the lifestyle that intersts us than money. Even though we make decent money here in comparison to salaries in Belize we have a very busy life and not a lot to show for it. We are both young and would like to enjoy our lives and time with each other and be able to contribute to the community rather than just work and pass by each other like we do now. Not expecting an extravegant lifestyle, just want to make sure that we would even be employable if we do move.

Best to come and check it out. You'll find out if you can survive on the pay here.

We are going to try to in the fall when my wife is out of school, any recomendations on what area to stay in and check out? I have been doing research, but would like recomendations for what area to look at and stay in when we do come.

There is a waiting list a mile long to apply for the fire services. As you said Belize City has the only major fire service, the rest of the country justs lets it burn mostly. PG has a small station, but those who work in the fire service are lifers. Pay for a teacher is so low even Belizeans have a hard time to survive. Come and check it out, but better to save up and bring your own money to survive on. My wife is a teacher as well so we keep aware of these things. Just my opinion.

Fires and nursing, if you really want to help and live cheap, Belize City (Lake Independence or Port Loyola) would be a good place to start. They definitely need nurses and firemen there. San Pedro usually finds their firehouse watching traffic (a good thing).

SIN

SIN, you fail to tell them that Lake I and Port Loyola are the poorest sections of Belize City. Think of some of the worst slums you can imagine. We were there last week rebuilding an old ladies house (habitat for humanity type project) and our director had a .357 shoved in his face right in the street middle of the day.

A good site for reasonably current cost of living and general info by/for gringo expats on the mainland is:
www.belizenorth.com

I lived in Yabra and Port a few years back. You got to get in with the locals and you'll be ok. Yes, a lil' rough, but makes San Pedro seem so much nicer when I visited.