State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Emergency Medical Technician Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Emergency Medical Technicians earn a median of $44,470 per year ($21.38/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 5.1% through 2034, with about 14,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
SOC 29-2042Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $44,470
- Projected growth
- +5.1%
- Openings a year
- 14,100
- Typical education
- Certificate
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), First Responder.
How much do Emergency Medical Technicians make?
10th percentile$34,130
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$37,960
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$44,470
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$50,100
Upper quartile
90th percentile$62,500
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $44,470 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $21.38/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $46,830 |
| People employed | 180,510 |
Versus all US occupations
At $44,470, Emergency Medical Technicians earn 13% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,510 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 55% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $62,500 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,130, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 16% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $66,410, and still leads at $60,400 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Emergency Medical Technicians the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $66,410 | $60,400 | 560 |
| Alaska | $57,440 | $56,116 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $53,610 | $49,272 | 6,120 |
| Washington | $52,690 | $49,237 | 2,940 |
| Rhode Island | $51,290 | $50,147 | 430 |
| Connecticut | $50,640 | $48,876 | 2,190 |
| Massachusetts | $50,230 | $47,496 | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $49,270 | $47,668 | 1,970 |
| New York | $48,400 | $44,848 | 14,840 |
| Maryland | $48,100 | $45,827 | 3,400 |
Is Emergency Medical Technician a growing career?
Emergency Medical Technicians5.1%
All US occupations3.1%
+5.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Emergency Medical Technicians to change 5.1% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 9,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,100 openings are projected each year, 7.8% of the 181,000 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of EMTs and paramedics is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Emergencies, such as car crashes, natural disasters, drug abuse incidents, and acts of violence, will continue to require the skills of EMTs and paramedics.
Growth in the middle-aged and older population will lead to an increase in age-related health emergencies, such as falls, heart attacks, and strokes. This increase, in turn, will support demand for EMT and paramedic services.
How to become an Emergency Medical Technician
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics typically complete a postsecondary educational program. All states require EMTs and paramedics to be licensed in the state in which they work; requirements vary by state.
| Typical entry-level education | Postsecondary nondegree award |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | None |
What does an Emergency Medical Technician do?
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, provide emergency medical care, and may transport patients to medical facilities.
Day-to-day tasks
- Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
- Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
- Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
- Comfort and reassure patients.
- Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of survivors, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
- Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
- Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities.
- Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where emergency medical technicians work
| Ambulance services | 45% |
|---|---|
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 26% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; private | 15% |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; local | 3% |
| Outpatient care centers | 2% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Tools and software
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Information retrieval or search software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Emergency Medical Technician?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary5.5
Investigativeprimary4.6
Artistic1.0
Socialprimary5.6
Enterprising1.6
Conventional3.8
Day to day this is work built around teaching, helping and working directly with other people, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Emergency Medical Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Emergency Medical Technicians make?
Emergency Medical Technicians earn a median of $44,470 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 13% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $21.38/hr. The middle half earn between $37,960 and $50,100. The top 10% earn $62,500 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Emergency Medical Technician?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialled training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or licence programme) as the typical entry route for Emergency Medical Technicians.
Is Emergency Medical Technician a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% over 2024–2034, faster than the 3.1% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Emergency Medical Technician do?
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, provide emergency medical care, and may transport patients to medical facilities. A core O*NET task: administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings. Employers most often ask for Medical software, Office suite software, Presentation software.
Which states pay Emergency Medical Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Emergency Medical Technicians are Hawaii ($66,410), Alaska ($57,440), New Jersey ($53,610) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Emergency Medical Technician?
O*NET scores Emergency Medical Technicians highest on the Social, Realistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes teaching, helping and working directly with other people with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISFJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.