Emergency Medical Technicians
Emergency Medical Technicians (SOC 29-2042) earn a median $44,470 a year ($21.38 an hour) in the United States, with 180,510 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Hawaii.
What emergency medical technicians do
Emergency medical technicians assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care, and they may transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities. The SOC excludes paramedics, firefighters, and ambulance drivers and attendants who are not EMTs, each of which has its own code, so the occupation is defined by providing basic care rather than by driving or fire suppression. The packet has no task list or education data for this code, so the day-to-day description stays general: on arrival the EMT evaluates the patient's condition, gives basic care appropriate to the problem, and prepares the patient for movement to a medical facility. O*NET alternate titles include emergency medical responder, advanced emergency medical technician, emergency department technician and ambulance driver, which shows the varied roles and levels the code covers. Because the SOC reserves more advanced prehospital care for paramedics, the scope here is limited to basic emergency medical care. Records of the patient's condition and the care given are part of responsible practice in this work.
Also called: Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT), Ambulance Driver, Dispatcher, Emergency Department Technician (ED Technician), Emergency Medical Driver.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.41 | $18.25 | $21.38 | $24.09 | $30.05 | $22.52 | 180,510 |
| Annual | $34,130 | $37,960 | $44,470 | $50,100 | $62,500 | $46,830 | ||
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 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 | ||||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $24.59 | $28.45 | $31.93 | $40.68 | $40.68 | $32.75 | 560 | 0.90 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $51,140 | $59,170 | $66,410 | $84,620 | $84,620 | $68,110 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $21.35 | $23.14 | $27.61 | $30.46 | $39.02 | $28.27 | 310 | 0.94 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $44,400 | $48,130 | $57,440 | $63,350 | $81,150 | $58,800 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $21.90 | $23.08 | $25.78 | $29.28 | $31.13 | $26.58 | 6,120 | 1.43 | 1.23 |
| Annual | $45,550 | $48,010 | $53,610 | $60,900 | $64,740 | $55,280 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $17.93 | $22.87 | $25.33 | $27.20 | $29.31 | $25.00 | 2,940 | 0.83 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $37,290 | $47,560 | $52,690 | $56,580 | $60,960 | $52,000 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $18.92 | $21.37 | $24.66 | $27.17 | $29.40 | $24.65 | 430 | 0.87 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $39,360 | $44,440 | $51,290 | $56,520 | $61,160 | $51,280 | ||||
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 | $18.62 | $20.49 | $22.30 | $28.45 | $37.57 | $25.43 | 21,880 | 1.20 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $38,740 | $42,610 | $46,380 | $59,180 | $78,150 | $52,900 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $19.18 | $20.80 | $23.27 | $30.71 | $33.28 | $25.42 | 14,840 | 1.53 | 1.32 |
| Annual | $39,890 | $43,270 | $48,400 | $63,870 | $69,210 | $52,870 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.58 | $16.89 | $17.91 | $21.27 | $25.08 | $19.32 | 12,770 | 0.91 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $30,320 | $35,130 | $37,260 | $44,240 | $52,160 | $40,190 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $16.58 | $18.09 | $20.82 | $22.83 | $26.14 | $21.07 | 10,160 | 1.68 | 1.44 |
| Annual | $34,480 | $37,630 | $43,310 | $47,480 | $54,370 | $43,820 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $17.51 | $18.96 | $20.32 | $23.87 | $65.14 | $26.96 | 7,840 | 1.29 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $36,420 | $39,430 | $42,260 | $49,640 | $135,490 | $56,080 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Lexington Park, MD | Hourly | $17.77 | $22.55 | $32.77 | $32.77 | $32.77 | $27.65 | 80 | 1.09 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $36,960 | $46,900 | $68,160 | $68,160 | $68,160 | $57,520 | ||||
| Urban Honolulu, HI | Hourly | $24.96 | $29.08 | $32.24 | $40.68 | $40.68 | $33.68 | 460 | 1.04 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $51,910 | $60,490 | $67,050 | $84,620 | $84,620 | $70,060 | ||||
| Redding, CA | Hourly | $16.84 | $16.84 | $28.90 | $29.90 | $38.38 | $26.23 | 80 | 1.18 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $35,020 | $35,020 | $60,120 | $62,190 | $79,820 | $54,560 | ||||
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | Hourly | $22.19 | $22.68 | $27.13 | $29.62 | $35.23 | $27.68 | 130 | 0.53 | 0.46 |
| Annual | $46,160 | $47,180 | $56,430 | $61,620 | $73,280 | $57,570 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $23.81 | $25.19 | $26.78 | $28.02 | $29.39 | $26.96 | 1,290 | 0.62 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $49,520 | $52,400 | $55,700 | $58,270 | $61,120 | $56,090 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.41 | $22.86 | $25.88 | $30.89 | $35.48 | $27.36 | 13,780 | 1.45 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $42,450 | $47,560 | $53,820 | $64,260 | $73,800 | $56,910 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.68 | $19.18 | $21.68 | $24.56 | $32.98 | $23.92 | 6,610 | 1.05 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $38,850 | $39,890 | $45,090 | $51,080 | $68,600 | $49,750 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $19.11 | $20.26 | $21.16 | $27.47 | $65.14 | $30.33 | 5,610 | 1.24 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $39,750 | $42,140 | $44,020 | $57,140 | $135,490 | $63,090 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $18.51 | $21.59 | $22.97 | $26.09 | $29.31 | $24.35 | 4,970 | 1.72 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $38,490 | $44,910 | $47,790 | $54,280 | $60,960 | $50,640 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $22.17 | $22.30 | $24.75 | $34.53 | $42.16 | $28.67 | 3,580 | 1.51 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $46,120 | $46,380 | $51,480 | $71,810 | $87,690 | $59,630 | ||||
Top industries employing emergency medical technicians
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services employ 47.1% of emergency medical technicians nationally (85,040 jobs) at a median $42,470 a year ($20.42 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (23.5%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (19.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services NAICS 621900 | 85,040 | 47.1% | $42,470 | $20.42 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 42,380 | 23.5% | $45,770 | $22.00 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 35,730 | 19.8% | $46,890 | $22.54 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 3,990 | 2.2% | $67,560 | $32.48 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 2,660 | 1.5% | $40,490 | $19.46 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (180,510). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $35,470 for emergency medical technicians in May 2021 and $44,470 in May 2025, with employment of 161,400 and 180,510.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $35,470 | $17.05 | 161,400 |
| May 2022 | $36,680 | $17.64 | 167,720 |
| May 2023 | $38,930 | $18.72 | 167,040 |
| May 2024 | $41,340 | $19.88 | 177,980 |
| May 2025 | $44,470 | $21.38 | 180,510 |
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
51 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 | Hawaii profile | $31.93 | $66,410 | $51,140 | $84,620 | 560 | 0.90 | 0.77 |
| 2 | Alaska profile | $27.61 | $57,440 | $44,400 | $81,150 | 310 | 0.94 | 0.81 |
| 3 | New Jersey profile | $25.78 | $53,610 | $45,550 | $64,740 | 6,120 | 1.43 | 1.23 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $25.33 | $52,690 | $37,290 | $60,960 | 2,940 | 0.83 | 0.71 |
| 5 | Rhode Island profile | $24.66 | $51,290 | $39,360 | $61,160 | 430 | 0.87 | 0.75 |
| 6 | Connecticut profile | $24.35 | $50,640 | $40,160 | $59,610 | 2,190 | 1.29 | 1.11 |
| 7 | Massachusetts profile | $24.15 | $50,230 | $40,140 | $69,830 | 4,550 | 1.25 | 1.08 |
| 8 | Oregon profile | $23.69 | $49,270 | $37,600 | $63,430 | 1,970 | 1.00 | 0.86 |
| 9 | New York profile | $23.27 | $48,400 | $39,890 | $69,210 | 14,840 | 1.53 | 1.32 |
| 10 | Maryland profile | $23.12 | $48,100 | $39,960 | $85,290 | 3,400 | 1.23 | 1.06 |
| 11 | Minnesota profile | $23.12 | $48,090 | $31,340 | $59,220 | 3,160 | 1.07 | 0.92 |
| 12 | Wyoming profile | $22.63 | $47,070 | $30,480 | $53,930 | 400 | 1.43 | 1.23 |
| 13 | Delaware profile | $22.49 | $46,790 | $39,060 | $57,660 | 950 | 1.96 | 1.69 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $22.50 | $46,790 | $37,320 | $59,670 | 1,010 | 1.48 | 1.27 |
| 15 | District of Columbia profile | $22.43 | $46,650 | $39,310 | $73,670 | 370 | 0.53 | 0.46 |
| 16 | California profile | $22.30 | $46,380 | $38,740 | $78,150 | 21,880 | 1.20 | 1.03 |
| 17 | Maine profile | $22.28 | $46,340 | $38,210 | $58,100 | 1,110 | 1.73 | 1.49 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $22.00 | $45,750 | $38,370 | $58,320 | 3,060 | 1.06 | 0.92 |
| 19 | Vermont profile | $21.93 | $45,600 | $36,770 | $57,700 | 790 | 2.61 | 2.25 |
| 20 | Georgia profile | $21.90 | $45,550 | $33,910 | $52,600 | 6,260 | 1.28 | 1.10 |
| 21 | Virginia profile | $21.84 | $45,420 | $36,540 | $59,180 | 4,490 | 1.09 | 0.94 |
| 22 | North Carolina profile | $21.27 | $44,250 | $35,190 | $59,750 | 6,680 | 1.35 | 1.17 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania profile | $20.82 | $43,310 | $34,480 | $54,370 | 10,160 | 1.68 | 1.44 |
| 24 | Wisconsin profile | $20.70 | $43,060 | $33,550 | $60,910 | 3,930 | 1.34 | 1.15 |
| 25 | Indiana profile | $20.55 | $42,740 | $36,170 | $50,640 | 4,160 | 1.30 | 1.12 |
| 26 | Illinois profile | $20.32 | $42,260 | $36,420 | $135,490 | 7,840 | 1.29 | 1.11 |
| 27 | Missouri profile | $20.27 | $42,160 | $34,390 | $58,090 | 2,800 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 28 | Nebraska profile | $20.05 | $41,710 | $35,060 | $68,670 | 540 | 0.53 | 0.45 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $19.55 | $40,660 | $35,600 | $60,080 | 1,510 | 0.97 | 0.83 |
| 30 | South Carolina profile | $19.41 | $40,370 | $31,590 | $49,210 | 4,010 | 1.74 | 1.50 |
| 31 | Tennessee profile | $19.39 | $40,330 | $29,720 | $59,370 | 3,860 | 1.18 | 1.01 |
| 32 | Ohio profile | $19.34 | $40,220 | $34,940 | $53,960 | 5,560 | 1.00 | 0.86 |
| 33 | Florida profile | $19.17 | $39,870 | $34,120 | $59,000 | 6,060 | 0.61 | 0.53 |
| 34 | Michigan profile | $19.17 | $39,870 | $35,360 | $49,620 | 4,230 | 0.96 | 0.83 |
| 35 | North Dakota profile | $19.07 | $39,670 | $31,890 | $54,100 | 760 | 1.77 | 1.52 |
| 36 | Arizona profile | $18.99 | $39,500 | $33,860 | $50,790 | 3,970 | 1.22 | 1.05 |
| 37 | Utah profile | $18.72 | $38,930 | $31,410 | $48,240 | 1,280 | 0.74 | 0.64 |
| 38 | Idaho profile | $18.67 | $38,840 | $27,180 | $51,140 | 780 | 0.91 | 0.78 |
| 39 | Alabama profile | $18.18 | $37,810 | $28,620 | $51,160 | 2,020 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 40 | Nevada profile | $18.06 | $37,560 | $29,060 | $59,000 | 1,530 | 0.99 | 0.85 |
| 41 | New Mexico profile | $18.05 | $37,550 | $32,370 | $55,500 | 1,260 | 1.44 | 1.24 |
| 42 | Texas profile | $17.91 | $37,260 | $30,320 | $52,160 | 12,770 | 0.91 | 0.78 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $29,800 | $49,950 | 2,770 | 1.39 | 1.19 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $17.69 | $36,800 | $31,130 | $48,460 | 600 | 1.32 | 1.13 |
| 45 | Mississippi profile | $17.61 | $36,630 | $26,760 | $48,290 | 1,390 | 1.19 | 1.03 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | $17.42 | $36,230 | $28,370 | $49,910 | 1,120 | 0.86 | 0.74 |
| 47 | Montana profile | $17.38 | $36,140 | $27,280 | $46,310 | 860 | 1.68 | 1.44 |
| 48 | Louisiana profile | $17.25 | $35,870 | $27,390 | $46,460 | 2,450 | 1.26 | 1.09 |
| 49 | Kansas profile | $17.20 | $35,780 | $28,560 | $53,710 | 1,510 | 1.05 | 0.90 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $16.52 | $34,360 | $29,120 | $45,350 | 900 | 1.29 | 1.11 |
| 51 | Oklahoma profile | $16.43 | $34,170 | $27,840 | $45,630 | 2,410 | 1.41 | 1.22 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (29-2040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 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 29-2042 Emergency Medical Technicians.
- 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 29-2042, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-2042.00, 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.