Emergency Medical Technicians Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for emergency medical technicianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $46,830 ≈ $23/hr
National median salary $44,470
Total employment 180,510 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth +5.1% Faster than average
Annual openings 14,100 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 181,000 → 190,200 (+9,200)
Typical entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Hawaii$68,110
  2. Alaska$58,800
  3. Illinois$56,080
  4. Maryland$55,790
  5. New Jersey$55,280

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. Oklahoma$35,050
  2. West Virginia$35,910
  3. Mississippi$36,390
  4. Louisiana$36,770
  5. Montana$36,820
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Hawaii $68,110 $66,410 $33 +45.4% 560
2 Alaska $58,800 $57,440 $28 +25.6% 310
3 Illinois $56,080 $42,260 $27 +19.8% 7,840
4 Maryland $55,790 $48,100 $27 +19.1% 3,400
5 New Jersey $55,280 $53,610 $27 +18% 6,120
6 California $52,900 $46,380 $25 +13% 21,880
7 New York $52,870 $48,400 $25 +12.9% 14,840
8 Massachusetts $52,500 $50,230 $25 +12.1% 4,550
9 Washington $52,000 $52,690 $25 +11% 2,940
10 Connecticut $51,300 $50,640 $25 +9.5% 2,190
11 Rhode Island $51,280 $51,290 $25 +9.5% 430
12 District of Columbia $51,220 $46,650 $25 +9.4% 370
13 Oregon $50,040 $49,270 $24 +6.9% 1,970
14 Delaware $49,420 $46,790 $24 +5.5% 950
15 Nebraska $48,700 $41,710 $23 +4% 540

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 438 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Lexington Park, MD $68,160 $57,520 80
2 Urban Honolulu, HI $67,050 $70,060 460
3 Alaska nonmetropolitan area $63,350 $67,940
4 Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area $60,560 $57,170
5 Redding, CA $60,120 $54,560 80
6 South Florida nonmetropolitan area $58,530 $55,270 120
7 Trenton-Princeton, NJ $56,430 $57,570 130
8 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $55,700 $56,090 1,290
9 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $54,990 $55,060 270
10 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $54,650 $72,700 830

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing emergency medical technicianss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Support Activities for Mining $102,230 $89,720 40
2 Support Activities for Mining $102,230 $89,720 40
3 Transportation Equipment Manufacturing $79,900 $69,410 40
4 Primary Metal Manufacturing $71,230 $64,830 40
5 Outpatient Care Centers $67,560 $68,060 3,990
6 Junior Colleges, State Government Owned $67,480 $64,130 50
7 Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing $62,910 $62,360 160
8 Home Health Care Services $62,420 $56,700 50
9 Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists $62,400 $57,270 60
10 Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction $60,920 $78,490 60
11 Junior Colleges $57,940 $57,930 140
12 All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services $56,920 $55,420 1,480

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
27,598
$10-20k
17,529
$20-30k
21,159
$30-40k
23,758
$40-50k
28,463
$50-60k
12,870
$60-70k
8,006
$70-80k
7,217
$80-90k
3,476
$90-100k
1,692
$100-110k
1,245
$110-120k
468
$120-130k
257
$130-140k
255
$140-150k
9
$160-170k
365
$180-190k
60
$200k+
1,284

Pay by age band

16-24
$26,604
25-34
$40,980
35-44
$45,450
45-54
$48,063
55-64
$40,350
65+
$15,855

Education level

1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$34,024
Bachelors Degree
$33,054
Regular high school diploma
$40,516
Associates Degree
$40,639
Some college, but less than 1 year
$42,682
Masters Degree
$46,538
GED or alternative credential
$29,333
Professional degree
$37,003
12th grade - no diploma
$27,297
No schooling completed
$22,526
Grade 9
$16,802
Grade 10
$31,122
Doctorate degree
$3,105
Grade 8
$32,091
Nursery school, preschool
$48,937
Grade 11
$39,755
Grade 6
$8,156

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
108,433 · $46,803
Part-time
24,631 · $19,359

Race / ethnicity

White
$36,905
Two or More Races
$34,197
Black
$45,971
Other
$36,140
Asian
$25,219
American Indian
$36,640
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$42,242
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$24,468

Top fields of study

Biology
$31,887
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$44,661
Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure
$27,144
Nursing
$23,244
Psychology
$39,679
Sociology
$38,560
Communications
$44,668
Business Management And Administration
$33,908

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do emergency medical technicians make in the U.S.?

The median emergency medical technicians salary in the United States is $44,470 per year (mean $46,830), and about 80% earn between $34,130 and $62,500.

How much do emergency medical technicians make per hour?

Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $46,830 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays emergency medical technicians the most?

Hawaii has the highest average pay for emergency medical technicians at $68,110 per year (median $66,410).

What is the job outlook for emergency medical technicians?

Employment is projected to change +5.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 14,100 openings per year.