Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians (SOC 53-3011) earn a median $35,450 a year ($17.04 an hour) in the United States, with 12,630 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians do
Ambulance drivers and attendants drive vehicles or ride along to move sick, injured, and convalescent people, but they are not emergency medical technicians or paramedics. This code is for those whose job is mainly driving and basic assistance rather than medical treatment. Typical work includes checking the vehicle before a shift, loading a patient on a stretcher with help from a partner, securing the stretcher in the ambulance, and driving the patient to the destination. Attendants accompany technicians on calls, restock supplies and disposable items, replace soiled linens, and keep the vehicle sanitary. They also report what happened at an accident or emergency scene to hospital staff or law enforcement. Alternate titles such as chair car driver and care attendant reflect this transport-focused work. Some also perform minor maintenance on the vehicle and clean and wash the ambulance and its equipment, and lifting patients is part of the job.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Ambulance Attendant, Ambulance Driver, Care Attendant, Certified Emergency Vehicle Technician (CEV Technician), Chair Car Driver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.15 | $14.78 | $17.04 | $18.47 | $22.10 | $17.41 | 12,630 |
| Annual | $27,350 | $30,750 | $35,450 | $38,410 | $45,960 | $36,210 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $17.64 | $17.88 | $35.45 | $36.28 | $38.29 | $27.74 | 280 | 0.16 | 2.02 |
| Annual | $36,700 | $37,200 | $73,730 | $75,470 | $79,650 | $57,690 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $15.28 | $17.31 | $19.66 | $19.67 | $21.56 | $18.90 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| Annual | $31,770 | $36,000 | $40,900 | $40,900 | $44,840 | $39,300 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $17.47 | $18.02 | $18.98 | $19.49 | $23.61 | $19.80 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $36,330 | $37,480 | $39,480 | $40,530 | $49,110 | $41,190 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $17.44 | $18.22 | $18.47 | $20.76 | $24.69 | $20.53 | 300 | 0.11 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $36,260 | $37,900 | $38,410 | $43,180 | $51,360 | $42,710 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $11.57 | $13.70 | $18.12 | $25.06 | $32.74 | $20.15 | 120 | 0.27 | 3.37 |
| Annual | $24,060 | $28,500 | $37,690 | $52,120 | $68,100 | $41,910 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $16.50 | $16.82 | $17.38 | $18.93 | $22.02 | $18.60 | 1,420 | 0.08 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $34,990 | $36,150 | $39,370 | $45,810 | $38,680 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $13.64 | $14.17 | $15.74 | $17.27 | $20.10 | $16.13 | 1,400 | 0.23 | 2.84 |
| Annual | $28,360 | $29,470 | $32,730 | $35,910 | $41,800 | $33,560 | ||||
| South Carolina | Hourly | $12.07 | $13.27 | $14.09 | $16.35 | $18.59 | $15.06 | 620 | 0.27 | 3.30 |
| Annual | $25,110 | $27,600 | $29,300 | $34,000 | $38,660 | $31,320 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $16.39 | $16.50 | $17.66 | $17.82 | $20.96 | $18.06 | 610 | 0.10 | 1.22 |
| Annual | $34,090 | $34,310 | $36,730 | $37,060 | $43,600 | $37,560 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $16.69 | $17.42 | $17.90 | $20.00 | $24.96 | $19.20 | 610 | 0.06 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $34,720 | $36,220 | $37,230 | $41,600 | $51,930 | $39,940 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Madison, WI | Hourly | $15.05 | $15.05 | $23.69 | $23.69 | $26.47 | $20.67 | 50 | 0.12 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $31,300 | $31,310 | $49,270 | $49,270 | $55,060 | $42,990 | ||||
| Richmond, VA | Hourly | $15.32 | $17.65 | $21.87 | $22.03 | $22.03 | $19.74 | 70 | 0.11 | 1.31 |
| Annual | $31,860 | $36,710 | $45,490 | $45,830 | $45,830 | $41,050 | ||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $17.50 | $18.31 | $21.45 | $26.98 | $34.83 | $23.25 | 90 | 0.03 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $38,090 | $44,620 | $56,120 | $72,440 | $48,360 | ||||
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | Hourly | $14.98 | $16.00 | $20.35 | $23.70 | $28.69 | $20.91 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $31,170 | $33,280 | $42,330 | $49,290 | $59,670 | $43,500 | ||||
| Worcester, MA | Hourly | $15.79 | $18.08 | $18.36 | $18.66 | $22.77 | $19.28 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $32,830 | $37,600 | $38,180 | $38,820 | $47,350 | $40,110 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.49 | $17.10 | $17.64 | $23.49 | $17.30 | 590 | 0.20 | 2.51 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $32,220 | $35,580 | $36,690 | $48,850 | $35,980 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $16.50 | $17.12 | $18.03 | $18.43 | $21.94 | $18.93 | 560 | 0.09 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $34,320 | $35,610 | $37,510 | $38,340 | $45,640 | $39,370 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.39 | $17.42 | $18.09 | $20.00 | $23.04 | $19.37 | 540 | 0.06 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $36,170 | $36,220 | $37,620 | $41,600 | $47,920 | $40,290 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $16.39 | $16.50 | $17.66 | $17.82 | $20.96 | $17.88 | 520 | 0.11 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $34,090 | $34,310 | $36,730 | $37,060 | $43,600 | $37,190 | ||||
| San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | Hourly | $10.99 | $11.03 | $11.07 | $11.16 | $11.95 | $11.18 | 320 | 0.46 | 5.67 |
| Annual | $22,860 | $22,940 | $23,020 | $23,220 | $24,860 | $23,250 | ||||
Top industries employing ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services employ 71.5% of ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians nationally (9,030 jobs) at a median $34,620 a year ($16.65 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (16.7%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (6.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services NAICS 621900 | 9,030 | 71.5% | $34,620 | $16.65 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 2,110 | 16.7% | $36,730 | $17.66 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 870 | 6.9% | $39,200 | $18.84 |
| Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation NAICS 485900 | 290 | 2.3% | $37,840 | $18.19 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 70 | 0.6% | $37,660 | $18.11 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (12,630). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,120 for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians in May 2021 and $35,450 in May 2025, with employment of 11,710 and 12,630.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,120 | $14.00 | 11,710 |
| May 2022 | $30,380 | $14.61 | 9,910 |
| May 2023 | $32,580 | $15.66 | 11,520 |
| May 2024 | $34,330 | $16.51 | 12,080 |
| May 2025 | $35,450 | $17.04 | 12,630 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
41 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut profile | $35.45 | $73,730 | $36,700 | $79,650 | 280 | 0.16 | 2.02 |
| 2 | Oregon profile | $19.66 | $40,900 | $31,770 | $44,840 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.27 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $18.98 | $39,480 | $36,330 | $49,110 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Maryland profile | $18.47 | $38,410 | $36,260 | $51,360 | 300 | 0.11 | 1.33 |
| 5 | North Dakota profile | $18.12 | $37,690 | $24,060 | $68,100 | 120 | 0.27 | 3.37 |
| 6 | Utah profile | $18.11 | $37,660 | $26,770 | $57,190 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.37 |
| 7 | Wisconsin profile | $18.00 | $37,450 | $23,710 | $49,270 | 230 | 0.08 | 0.95 |
| 8 | New York profile | $17.90 | $37,230 | $34,720 | $51,930 | 610 | 0.06 | 0.78 |
| 9 | Virginia profile | $17.78 | $36,980 | $27,540 | $45,830 | 370 | 0.09 | 1.11 |
| 10 | Illinois profile | $17.66 | $36,730 | $34,090 | $43,600 | 610 | 0.10 | 1.22 |
| 11 | Nevada profile | $17.52 | $36,440 | $35,230 | $57,010 | 60 | 0.04 | 0.44 |
| 12 | New Jersey profile | $17.39 | $36,170 | $32,240 | $41,080 | 170 | 0.04 | 0.48 |
| 13 | California profile | $17.38 | $36,150 | $34,320 | $45,810 | 1,420 | 0.08 | 0.96 |
| 14 | Iowa profile | $17.35 | $36,090 | $29,050 | $44,310 | 370 | 0.23 | 2.88 |
| 15 | Montana profile | $17.33 | $36,050 | $31,080 | $43,180 | 180 | 0.35 | 4.31 |
| 16 | Georgia profile | $17.28 | $35,950 | $28,390 | $40,800 | 390 | 0.08 | 0.98 |
| 17 | Tennessee profile | $17.19 | $35,740 | $30,910 | $52,850 | 460 | 0.14 | 1.71 |
| 18 | New Hampshire profile | $17.18 | $35,730 | $30,560 | $43,220 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.61 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | $17.16 | $35,690 | $34,910 | $41,690 | 40 | 0.12 | 1.43 |
| 20 | Ohio profile | $17.10 | $35,560 | $30,580 | $42,700 | 410 | 0.07 | 0.91 |
| 21 | Florida profile | $16.84 | $35,020 | $30,240 | $46,240 | 210 | 0.02 | 0.26 |
| 22 | Nebraska profile | $16.84 | $35,020 | $29,040 | $44,570 | 280 | 0.28 | 3.40 |
| 23 | Maine profile | $16.68 | $34,690 | $30,470 | $39,230 | 170 | 0.27 | 3.29 |
| 24 | Delaware profile | $16.54 | $34,400 | $31,410 | $41,180 | 50 | 0.11 | 1.37 |
| 25 | Indiana profile | $16.00 | $33,280 | $24,250 | $56,480 | 240 | 0.08 | 0.94 |
| 26 | Kentucky profile | $15.79 | $32,850 | $27,010 | $39,570 | 130 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania profile | $15.74 | $32,730 | $28,360 | $41,800 | 1,400 | 0.23 | 2.84 |
| 28 | Arkansas profile | $15.73 | $32,720 | $24,180 | $45,380 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.65 |
| 29 | Minnesota profile | $15.71 | $32,670 | $23,960 | $49,030 | ** | ** | ** |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $15.60 | $32,450 | $26,210 | $37,210 | ** | ** | ** |
| 31 | Michigan profile | $15.28 | $31,770 | $26,610 | $49,030 | ** | ** | ** |
| 32 | Texas profile | $14.91 | $31,010 | $21,520 | $34,730 | 550 | 0.04 | 0.48 |
| 33 | Colorado profile | $14.81 | $30,800 | $30,800 | $43,060 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.30 |
| 34 | South Carolina profile | $14.09 | $29,300 | $25,110 | $38,660 | 620 | 0.27 | 3.30 |
| 35 | South Dakota profile | $14.04 | $29,190 | $28,960 | $32,780 | 160 | 0.34 | 4.23 |
| 36 | New Mexico profile | $13.80 | $28,700 | $26,780 | $33,810 | 70 | 0.08 | 0.98 |
| 37 | Oklahoma profile | $13.53 | $28,140 | $27,080 | $33,370 | ** | ** | ** |
| 38 | Louisiana profile | $13.18 | $27,410 | $26,470 | $34,480 | 120 | 0.06 | 0.77 |
| 39 | West Virginia profile | $12.61 | $26,240 | $21,590 | $30,880 | 170 | 0.24 | 2.97 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $12.10 | $25,170 | $18,230 | $36,940 | 300 | 0.26 | 3.16 |
| 41 | Alabama profile | $11.74 | $24,420 | $22,880 | $36,920 | 230 | 0.11 | 1.33 |
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-3011 Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-3011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-3011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.