Emergency Medical Technicians: Career Overview
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
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What Do Emergency Medical Technicians Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of emergency medical technicians include:
- 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.
Other Emergency Medical Technicians Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
- Ambulance Driver
- Dispatcher
- EMT Paramedic (Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic)
- EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician- Basic)
- EMT-I/85
- EMT-I/99
- EMT-P
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 2,764,765 emergency medical technicians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +14.6% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Emergency Medical Technicians
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $105,175 |
| Hourly median | $50.57 |
| 10th percentile | $59,451 |
| 25th percentile | $82,313 |
| 75th percentile | $128,038 |
| 90th percentile | $150,900 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Emergency Medical Technicians Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $61,310 |
| Alaska | $56,900 |
| New Jersey | $49,500 |
| Rhode Island | $49,500 |
| Washington | $48,850 |
| Oregon | $48,070 |
| Connecticut | $47,550 |
| Maryland | $47,390 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,040 |
| New York | $46,000 |
| Massachusetts | $45,970 |
| District of Columbia | $45,920 |
| Maine | $45,720 |
| Minnesota | $45,690 |
| California | $45,680 |
| Delaware | $45,310 |
| New Hampshire | $45,170 |
| Virginia | $45,060 |
| Colorado | $43,950 |
| Wisconsin | $43,340 |
| Wyoming | $41,330 |
| Illinois | $40,780 |
| North Carolina | $40,530 |
| Florida | $40,420 |
| Indiana | $39,850 |
| Vermont | $39,520 |
| South Dakota | $39,520 |
| Idaho | $39,430 |
| Nebraska | $39,370 |
| Iowa | $39,260 |
| Georgia | $39,250 |
| Nevada | $38,980 |
| Michigan | $38,890 |
| South Carolina | $38,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,580 |
| Missouri | $38,580 |
| Ohio | $38,140 |
| Arizona | $38,110 |
| North Dakota | $37,670 |
| Tennessee | $37,630 |
| Texas | $37,000 |
| Utah | $36,940 |
| New Mexico | $36,850 |
| Alabama | $36,260 |
| Kentucky | $36,050 |
| Mississippi | $35,980 |
| West Virginia | $35,060 |
| Montana | $34,900 |
| Kansas | $34,650 |
| Louisiana | $33,990 |
| Oklahoma | $32,420 |
| Arkansas | $31,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,360 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for emergency medical technicians shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $46,332 | 14.7% | 0.88 |
| New England | $45,804 | 5.5% | 1.23 |
| Middle Atlantic | $44,545 | 19.1% | 1.28 |
| Rocky Mountains | $40,919 | 3.7% | 0.97 |
| Great Lakes | $40,200 | 14.3% | 1.03 |
| Plains States | $39,780 | 6.5% | 1.10 |
| Southeast | $38,871 | 24.1% | 1.07 |
| Southwest | $36,709 | 11.6% | 0.94 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Emergency Medical Technicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $63,880 | 440 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $58,250 | 750 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $53,920 | 100 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $52,140 | 130 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | FL | $51,300 | 110 |
| Vineland, NJ | NJ | $51,040 | 150 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $50,750 | 490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $50,400 | 1,440 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of emergency medical technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 124,100 | $40,610 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,730 | $42,790 |
| Educational Services | 620 | $47,940 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 280 | $44,920 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 230 | $37,030 |
| Information | 180 | $107,160 |
| Manufacturing | 140 | $53,560 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 40 | $98,740 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Emergency Medical Technicians Use
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
How to Become Emergency Medical Technicians
This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Supplemental)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Acute Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Critical Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future emergency medical technicians often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-2042.00 (Emergency Medical Technicians).
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