Are you interested in starting a career in emergency medical services and wondering what the average Paramedic and EMT salary figures are? After having researched a few online resources listing EMT wages, I decided to write this post with the intention of providing more detail than what I’ve seen elsewhere. Many considering or currently pursuing a career in this field are willing to move to the job, so I made a special note of including the most highly paid states and metro areas throughout the country.

Of course, as with most careers, salaries depend on many factors, such as, the level of training or credentials a candidate has, experience level, state and locality, etc. A paramedic or EMT in a lower cost of living state such as Ohio won’t make as much as one in California for instance. And of course there is also some salary discrepancies depending on the specific EMS company one works for.

Two of the most reliable resources for finding salary information on any career or vocation are the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Salary.com. So let’s take a look at the following data from both of those sources and save you the time required to find it elsewhere.

According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics (May 2010 data), the nationwide median hourly wages of EMTs and paramedics was $14.60 ($30,360/year). The middle 50 percent earned between $11.57 ($24,070/year) and $19.03 ($39,590/year), while the lowest 25% percent earned between $9.48 ($19,710/year) and $11.57 ($24,070/year), and the highest 25% earned between $19.03 ($39,590/year) and $24.70 ($51,370/year).

Geographic EMT and Paramedic Salary Data

Here are some more salary figures provided by the May 2010 Occupational Employment and Wages study data provided by the BLS:

Industries with Highest Employment

The industries with the highest levels of employment for EMTs and paramedics include: Ambulatory Health Care Services (107,290), Local Government (65,400), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (37,410), Physician Offices (1,730), and Outpatient Care Centers (1,430).

Highest State Employment Numbers

Again, according to the Occupational Employment Statistics, the five states that employ the most EMTs and paramedics are California (15,220), Texas (15,010), New York (13,370), Pennsylvania (12,760) and Illinois (10,450).

Highest Paying States

The states with the highest annual mean wages are: District of Columbia ($49,870), Alaska ($48,050), Hawaii ($47,920), Oregon ($44,570), and Washington ($43,530). Although I can’t say for certain, I speculate that harsher weather conditions play a large factor in these figures since EMTs and paramedics have to work in any and all weather conditions.

Highest Paying Metro Areas

The metropolitan areas with the highest annual mean wages for EMTs and paramedics include: Tacoma, WA ($65,880), Coeur d’Alene, ID ($62,070), Anchorage, AK ($52,310), San Francisco/San Mateo/Redwood City, CA ($50,950), Portsmouth, NH ($50,630), Washington/Arlington/Alexandria DC, VA, MD WV ($50,190), Olympia, WA ($49,840), El Centro, CA ($48,950), Portland/Vancouver/Beaverton OR, WA ($48,600), Harrisburg, VA ($48,070).

Additional EMT and Paramedic Salary Figures

As stated above, the second most reliable and quoted source for salary data online is Salary.com, which provide their own figures for most occupations. According to Salary.com, the median salary for EMTs/Paramedics in the U.S. is $38,363. More specifically, the middle 50% of EMT professionals according to Salary.com make between $34,034 and $43,108, while the bottom 25% make between $30,091 and $34,034, and the highest paid 25% make between $43,108 and $47,428.

Salary.com uses their Certified Compensation Professionals’ analysis of survey data collected from thousands of HR departments at employers of all sizes, industries and geographies.

How to Get Paid More as an EMT or Paramedic?

There isn’t much info online about how EMS workers can increase their salary, but logically there are a few ways to do so. First, since there are several classifications within the EMT profession including, EMT-First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate/Advanced, and EMT-Paramedic, EMS professionals will be able to increase their income by progressing through the these EMT job classifications. With a higher classification and more experience comes a higher salary, provided the individual petition their employer for a raise on a periodic basis.

Additionally, since some areas of the country pay EMT professionals more than others, if one is willing to relocate to a higher paying state or metro area (which many young EMTs and paramedics are willing to do) they would obviously be able to get paid more. Of course with a change in location could come an increase in cost of living – cancelling out higher pay, so a thorough investigation of EMT salary vs living expenses for anyone considering a relocation is recommended.