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).
National median · BLS
$44,470
▲ +7.57%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$46,830
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
180,510
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Emergency Medical Technicians
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$34,130
25th
$37,960
Median (50th)
$44,470
75th
$50,100
90th — top pay
$62,500
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Emergency Medical Technicians
BLS projects employment of emergency medical technicians to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 13,800 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
181,900 → 192,500
+10,600 jobs
Projected change
+5.8%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
13,800
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
BLS state medians, plus the same figure adjusted for local prices (BEA Regional Price Parities). Tap a state for its full range and H-1B pay.
State
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Emergency Medical Technicians salaries by metro area
Search by city, ZIP code or metro name. Tap a metro for its full range.
Metro area
Median
Jobs
Cost-adjusted
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Skills & tools
Skills needed for Emergency Medical Technicians
How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.
Software and technology used
MEDITECH softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordEpocratesHyperToxInformed EMS Field GuideIterum eMedicMedDataSolutions Regist*rMedical Wizards ER & ICU ToolBoxMedical Wizards ER SuiteMedical Wizards Paramedics ToolBoxMosby's Drug ConsultPalmtree EMS Field Reference GuidePalmtree Pocket EKGPEPID EMSSkyscape medical software
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What emergency medical technicians do
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.
Also called
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)First Responder
More job titles for this occupation (23)
Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)Ambulance DriverDispatcherEmergency Department Technician (ED Technician)Emergency Medical DriverEmergency Medical ResponderEmergency Medical Technician - Basic (EMT-B)Emergency Room TechnicianEMT Paramedic (Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic)EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician- Basic)EMT-I/85EMT-I/99EMT-PHealth Care SpecialistHealthcare SpecialistMedical DriverMedical Equipment Delivery DriverMedical TechnicianNon-Emergency Medical Transportation DriverOnsite Medical Representative (Onsite Medical Rep)ParamedicRescue Technician (Rescue Tech)Rescue Worker
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Emergency Medical Technicians, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $44,470.
