SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities. Excludes “Paramedics” (29-2043), “Firefighters” (33-2011), and “Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians” (53-3011).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-2042.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $34,130 | $2,844 | $656 | $16.41 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $37,960 | $3,163 | $730 | $18.25 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $44,470 | $3,706 | $855 | $21.38 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $50,100 | $4,175 | $963 | $24.09 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $62,500 | $5,208 | $1,202 | $30.05 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Emergency Medical Technicians is $44,470, which is 13% lower. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 70 by median pay. With 180,510 jobs, it makes up about 12 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Emergency Medical Technicians pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($66,410), Alaska ($57,440) and New Jersey ($53,610). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($27,610), Oklahoma ($34,170) and West Virginia ($34,360). The most jobs were in California (21,880), New York (14,840) and Texas (12,770). The occupation is most concentrated in Vermont, where its share of all jobs is 2.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 560 | $66,410 | $68,110 | $31.93 |
| Alaska | 310 | $57,440 | $58,800 | $27.61 |
| New Jersey | 6,120 | $53,610 | $55,280 | $25.78 |
| Washington | 2,940 | $52,690 | $52,000 | $25.33 |
| Rhode Island | 430 | $51,290 | $51,280 | $24.66 |
| Connecticut | 2,190 | $50,640 | $51,300 | $24.35 |
| Massachusetts | 4,550 | $50,230 | $52,500 | $24.15 |
| Oregon | 1,970 | $49,270 | $50,040 | $23.69 |
| New York | 14,840 | $48,400 | $52,870 | $23.27 |
| Maryland | 3,400 | $48,100 | $55,790 | $23.12 |
| Minnesota | 3,160 | $48,090 | $47,470 | $23.12 |
| Wyoming | 400 | $47,070 | $45,090 | $22.63 |
| Virgin Islands | 40 | $47,040 | $46,970 | $22.62 |
| Delaware | 950 | $46,790 | $49,420 | $22.49 |
| New Hampshire | 1,010 | $46,790 | $47,180 | $22.50 |
| District of Columbia | 370 | $46,650 | $51,220 | $22.43 |
| California | 21,880 | $46,380 | $52,900 | $22.30 |
| Maine | 1,110 | $46,340 | $47,310 | $22.28 |
| Colorado | 3,060 | $45,750 | $46,830 | $22.00 |
| Vermont | 790 | $45,600 | $45,650 | $21.93 |
| Georgia | 6,260 | $45,550 | $44,240 | $21.90 |
| Virginia | 4,490 | $45,420 | $46,370 | $21.84 |
| North Carolina | 6,680 | $44,250 | $45,790 | $21.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 10,160 | $43,310 | $43,820 | $20.82 |
| Wisconsin | 3,930 | $43,060 | $45,170 | $20.70 |
| Indiana | 4,160 | $42,740 | $44,230 | $20.55 |
| Illinois | 7,840 | $42,260 | $56,080 | $20.32 |
| Missouri | 2,800 | $42,160 | $43,330 | $20.27 |
| Nebraska | 540 | $41,710 | $48,700 | $20.05 |
| Iowa | 1,510 | $40,660 | $44,970 | $19.55 |
| South Carolina | 4,010 | $40,370 | $41,940 | $19.41 |
| Tennessee | 3,860 | $40,330 | $43,370 | $19.39 |
| Ohio | 5,560 | $40,220 | $42,930 | $19.34 |
| Florida | 6,060 | $39,870 | $44,130 | $19.17 |
| Michigan | 4,230 | $39,870 | $42,180 | $19.17 |
| North Dakota | 760 | $39,670 | $44,480 | $19.07 |
| Arizona | 3,970 | $39,500 | $42,180 | $18.99 |
| Utah | 1,280 | $38,930 | $40,470 | $18.72 |
| Idaho | 780 | $38,840 | $39,740 | $18.67 |
| Alabama | 2,020 | $37,810 | $39,100 | $18.18 |
| Nevada | 1,530 | $37,560 | $43,050 | $18.06 |
| New Mexico | 1,260 | $37,550 | $42,160 | $18.05 |
| Texas | 12,770 | $37,260 | $40,190 | $17.91 |
| Kentucky | 2,770 | $36,800 | $38,990 | $17.69 |
| South Dakota | 600 | $36,800 | $39,110 | $17.69 |
| Mississippi | 1,390 | $36,630 | $36,390 | $17.61 |
| Arkansas | 1,120 | $36,230 | $38,230 | $17.42 |
| Montana | 860 | $36,140 | $36,820 | $17.38 |
| Louisiana | 2,450 | $35,870 | $36,770 | $17.25 |
| Kansas | 1,510 | $35,780 | $37,870 | $17.20 |
| West Virginia | 900 | $34,360 | $35,910 | $16.52 |
| Oklahoma | 2,410 | $34,170 | $35,050 | $16.43 |
| Puerto Rico | 650 | $27,610 | $29,460 | $13.27 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Pharmacy Technicians$45,750 a year
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians$45,570 a year
- Psychiatric Technicians$45,130 a year
- Dietetic Technicians$37,640 a year
Common questions
How much do Emergency Medical Technicians earn in the United States?
The median pay was $44,470 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $34,130 and the highest-paid 10% more than $62,500.
How many people work as Emergency Medical Technicians?
About 180,510 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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