Paramedics Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for paramedicss 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 $63,360 ≈ $30/hr
National median salary $60,600
Total employment 100,610 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +5%
Faster than average
Annual openings 4,900 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 101,900 → 107,000 (+5,100)
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
- Washington$101,070
- New Jersey$87,760
- District of Columbia$82,440
- California$77,740
- Connecticut$77,230
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- South Dakota$48,290
- Oklahoma$48,450
- West Virginia$48,940
- Alabama$49,910
- Montana$52,130
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $101,070 | $104,310 | $49 | +59.5% | 2,110 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $87,760 | $86,630 | $42 | +38.5% | 540 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $82,440 | $78,550 | $40 | +30.1% | 90 |
| 4 | California | $77,740 | $74,590 | $37 | +22.7% | 5,190 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $77,230 | $77,480 | $37 | +21.9% | 1,000 |
| 6 | Hawaii | $76,820 | $81,280 | $37 | +21.2% | 140 |
| 7 | Alaska | $75,410 | $71,860 | $36 | +19% | 310 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $74,820 | $76,300 | $36 | +18.1% | 1,690 |
| 9 | New York | $74,220 | $73,200 | $36 | +17.1% | 6,110 |
| 10 | Oregon | $73,620 | $74,840 | $35 | +16.2% | 1,210 |
| 11 | Illinois | $72,570 | $60,660 | $35 | +14.5% | 3,890 |
| 12 | Maryland | $72,030 | $66,660 | $35 | +13.7% | 1,910 |
| 13 | Delaware | $70,890 | $64,240 | $34 | +11.9% | 340 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | $70,260 | $66,340 | $34 | +10.9% | 1,860 |
| 15 | Utah | $68,560 | $65,420 | $33 | +8.2% | 960 |
| 16 | Colorado | $67,480 | $63,910 | $32 | +6.5% | 2,110 |
| 17 | Rhode Island | $67,390 | $63,550 | $32 | +6.4% | 160 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $66,840 | $64,210 | $32 | +5.5% | 420 |
| 19 | Maine | $65,870 | $63,050 | $32 | +4% | 470 |
| 20 | Idaho | $65,480 | $60,380 | $31 | +3.3% | 440 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $63,920 | $64,040 | $31 | +0.9% | 230 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $63,560 | $61,000 | $31 | +0.3% | 4,750 |
| 23 | Florida | $63,300 | $60,140 | $30 | -0.1% | 6,970 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $63,230 | $62,320 | $30 | -0.2% | 220 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $63,150 | $55,530 | $30 | -0.3% | 810 |
| 26 | Nevada | $61,990 | $59,280 | $30 | -2.2% | 950 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $60,930 | $59,710 | $29 | -3.8% | 1,990 |
| 28 | Missouri | $60,860 | $59,180 | $29 | -3.9% | 3,300 |
| 29 | Iowa | $60,770 | $60,590 | $29 | -4.1% | 1,170 |
| 30 | Vermont | $60,380 | $60,360 | $29 | -4.7% | 190 |
| 31 | Virginia | $60,150 | $60,480 | $29 | -5.1% | 1,960 |
| 32 | Indiana | $59,940 | $60,320 | $29 | -5.4% | 2,680 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $59,870 | $57,690 | $29 | -5.5% | 3,710 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $59,520 | $56,230 | $29 | -6.1% | 490 |
| 35 | Arizona | $58,330 | $58,600 | $28 | -7.9% | 2,200 |
| 36 | Georgia | $58,010 | $57,660 | $28 | -8.4% | 3,250 |
| 37 | Texas | $57,590 | $57,500 | $28 | -9.1% | 8,410 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $57,320 | $57,320 | $28 | -9.5% | 5,660 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $55,130 | $54,630 | $27 | -13% | 1,150 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $55,130 | $53,550 | $27 | -13% | 2,250 |
| 41 | Ohio | $54,590 | $51,300 | $26 | -13.8% | 3,600 |
| 42 | Michigan | $54,320 | $52,080 | $26 | -14.3% | 2,750 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $54,220 | $56,050 | $26 | -14.4% | 2,040 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $53,920 | $50,310 | $26 | -14.9% | 1,170 |
| 45 | Kansas | $53,790 | $51,020 | $26 | -15.1% | 1,030 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $52,510 | $49,890 | $25 | -17.1% | 1,800 |
| 47 | Montana | $52,130 | $50,890 | $25 | -17.7% | 300 |
| 48 | Alabama | $49,910 | $48,540 | $24 | -21.2% | 1,700 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $48,940 | $48,460 | $24 | -22.8% | 1,090 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $48,450 | $46,790 | $23 | -23.5% | 1,590 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $48,290 | $48,830 | $23 | -23.8% | 280 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 392 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $123,310 | $117,660 | 750 |
| 2 | Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $120,260 | $109,680 | 100 |
| 3 | Bellingham, WA | $119,970 | $119,190 | 70 |
| 4 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $119,700 | $110,800 | 80 |
| 5 | Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $109,620 | $106,520 | 70 |
| 6 | Kennewick-Richland, WA | $101,250 | $92,330 | 80 |
| 7 | Redding, CA | $88,740 | $82,630 | 40 |
| 8 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $84,480 | $92,750 | 110 |
| 9 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $83,090 | $92,860 | 780 |
| 10 | Ogden, UT | $82,650 | $73,430 | 50 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing paramedicss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $89,530 | $81,430 | 40 |
| 2 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $76,850 | $88,120 | 50 |
| 3 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $68,490 | $68,110 | — |
| 4 | Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | $68,370 | $67,120 | 270 |
| 5 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $65,660 | $66,600 | 220 |
| 6 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $65,660 | $66,600 | 220 |
| 7 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $64,710 | $68,080 | 670 |
| 8 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $64,610 | $67,620 | 690 |
| 9 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $64,100 | $66,840 | 820 |
| 10 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $62,320 | $66,040 | — |
| 11 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $62,320 | $66,040 | — |
| 12 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $61,980 | $66,180 | 38,260 |
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
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do paramedics make in the U.S.?
The median paramedics salary in the United States is $60,600 per year (mean $63,360), and about 80% earn between $44,230 and $84,850.
How much do paramedics make per hour?
Roughly $30 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $63,360 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays paramedics the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for paramedics at $101,070 per year (median $104,310).
What is the job outlook for paramedics?
Employment is projected to change +5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 4,900 openings per year.