A paramedic stationed on oil platforms, vessels, or remote industrial sites to provide emergency and routine medical care to workers. BLS does not publish separate figures for paramedics; it counts them within paramedic (SOC 29-2043), whose median pay is $60,600 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
- SOC 29-2043
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Offshore Medic in four numbers
- Median pay
- $60,600a year, or $29.13/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $44KTop 10% $85K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.7%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 4,300102,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025102.2K
- Projected 2035108K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 102.2K Projected 2035 108K - Typical education
- Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
Also advertised as: Offshore Paramedic, Rig Medic, Platform Medic, Remote Site Medic, Industrial Paramedic.
Pay
How much do Paramedics make?
Every offshore medic in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$60,600
Middle half earn $49,660 to $73,470
- 10th
- $44,230
- 25th
- $49,660
- 75th
- $73,470
- 90th
- $84,850
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $44,230 |
| 25th | $49,660 |
| Median | $60,600 |
| 75th | $73,470 |
| 90th | $84,850 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $60,600
- Median hourly wage
- $29.13/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $63,360
- People employed
- 100,610
Versus all US occupations
At $60,600, Paramedics earn 19% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $9,620 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $102,760, this is 41% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $84,850 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,230, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 33% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $104,310, and still leads at $97,474 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Paramedics the most?
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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Washington | $104,310 | $97,474 | 2,110 |
| 2New Jersey | $86,630 | $79,620 | 540 |
| 3Hawaii | $81,280 | $73,924 | 140 |
| 4District of Columbia | $78,550 | $71,473 | 90 |
| 5Connecticut | $77,480 | $74,780 | 1,000 |
| 6Minnesota | $76,300 | $77,367 | 1,690 |
| 7Oregon | $74,840 | $72,406 | 1,210 |
| 8California | $74,590 | $67,368 | 5,190 |
| 9New York | $73,200 | $67,827 | 6,110 |
| 10Alaska | $71,860 | $70,204 | 310 |
Job outlook
Is Offshore Medic a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Paramedics | +5.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Paramedics to change 5.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 5,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 4,300 openings are projected each year, 4.2% of the 102,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Offshore Medic
Offshore medic positions in the United States generally require a state paramedic license and National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) certification, along with BLS, ACLS, and a trauma course such as PHTLS. Employers typically want several years of busy field experience as a paramedic, and some prefer an associate degree.
Workers must also complete offshore safety training such as helicopter underwater escape training and sea survival, and pass medical and drug screening. Many medics are hired through medical staffing contractors that serve oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico, and some move into similar remote roles at mines and construction camps.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
The work
What does an Offshore Medic do?
Offshore medics are the medical team on oil and gas platforms, drilling rigs, and offshore vessels, often far from the nearest hospital. They run the onboard clinic, treat injuries and illnesses from minor cuts to heart attacks, and stabilize seriously ill workers while arranging helicopter evacuation with shore-based physicians by radio or telemedicine.
Because the medic is usually the only clinician on site, the job also includes occupational health work: drug and alcohol testing, health screenings, water and food hygiene checks, managing medical supplies, and safety training. Many positions combine the medic role with health, safety, and environment duties or administrative tasks on the installation.
Day-to-day tasks
- Run the medical clinic on an offshore platform or vessel
- Treat occupational injuries and illnesses among crew members
- Stabilize critical patients and coordinate helicopter evacuations
- Consult shore-based physicians through radio and telemedicine
- Conduct drug and alcohol testing and health screenings
- Inspect food, water, and living quarters for hygiene
- Maintain medical supplies and emergency equipment
- Teach first aid and safety courses to crew
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Offshore medics live on the installation for a rotation, commonly two weeks on and two weeks off, working long daily shifts and staying on call around the clock. Getting to work means helicopter or boat transfers. The environment is industrial, noisy, and isolated, with weather and sea conditions that can delay evacuations.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.6
- Reading Comprehension3.5
- Speaking3.5
- Monitoring3.5
- Active Learning3.4
- Writing2.9
- Learning Strategies2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.5 |
| Monitoring | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Writing | 2.9 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation3.9
- Social Perceptiveness3.8
- Coordination3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Persuasion3.1
- Instructing3.1
- Operation and Control3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 3.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.8 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Persuasion | 3.1 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system 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.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Offshore Medic?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code SRI) built on O*NET's Paramedic profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Offshore Medic |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 6 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
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.
- Social5.6
- Realistic5.3
- Investigative5.0
- Conventional3.4
- Enterprising1.9
- Artistic1.0
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Offshore Medic
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
More healthcare practitioners and technical careers
Median annual pay, with paramedics highlighted
- Anesthesiologist$391,490
- Physician Assistant$135,880
- Nurse Practitioner$132,300
- Physical Therapist$102,760
- Dental Hygienist$98,100
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographer$96,590
- Radiologic Technologist and Technician$80,110
- Surgical Technologist$64,650
- Offshore Medic$60,600
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Anesthesiologist | $391,490 |
| Physician Assistant | $135,880 |
| Nurse Practitioner | $132,300 |
| Physical Therapist | $102,760 |
| Dental Hygienist | $98,100 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $96,590 |
| Radiologic Technologist and Technician | $80,110 |
| Surgical Technologist | $64,650 |
| Offshore Medic | $60,600 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Offshore Medic appears on
Questions
Offshore Medic: frequently asked questions
How much do Paramedics make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for paramedics. It counts them within paramedic, whose median pay is $60,600 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $49,660 and $73,470, and the top 10% earn $84,850 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Offshore Medic?
Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Paramedics. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first.
Is Offshore Medic a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.7% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 4,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Offshore Medic do?
Offshore medics are the medical team on oil and gas platforms, drilling rigs, and offshore vessels, often far from the nearest hospital. A typical task: run the medical clinic on an offshore platform or vessel. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Medical software, Object or component oriented development software.
Which states pay Paramedics the most?
The highest state medians for Paramedics are Washington ($104,310), New Jersey ($86,630), Hawaii ($81,280) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Offshore Medic?
O*NET scores Paramedics 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 1,731 careers in the bank.