Paramedics
Paramedics (SOC 29-2043) earn a median $60,600 a year ($29.13 an hour) in the United States, with 100,610 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What paramedics do
Paramedics administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. The SOC says they may administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals. That advanced scope is what separates the code from emergency medical technicians, who provide basic care and have their own code, and from ambulance drivers and attendants who are not EMTs. The packet has no task list or education data for paramedics, so the description of daily work stays general: at a scene the paramedic evaluates the patient's condition, decides what care is needed and provides it, then prepares the patient for movement to a medical facility. O*NET alternate titles include critical care paramedic, flight paramedic, emergency department paramedic and first responder, which indicate that the work is done in more than one kind of setting, from ambulance response to hospital emergency departments and air or critical care transport. Thorough documentation of the care given is part of the job.
Also called: Critical Care Paramedic, ED Paramedic (Emergency Department Paramedic), EMT Paramedic (Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic), ER Paramedic (Emergency Room Paramedic), First Responder.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $21.27 | $23.88 | $29.13 | $35.32 | $40.80 | $30.46 | 100,610 |
| Annual | $44,230 | $49,660 | $60,600 | $73,470 | $84,850 | $63,360 | ||
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 paramedics 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.33 | $38.62 | $50.15 | $59.28 | $63.96 | $48.59 | 2,110 | 0.59 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $61,010 | $80,320 | $104,310 | $123,310 | $133,040 | $101,070 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $36.66 | $38.19 | $41.65 | $45.99 | $47.80 | $42.19 | 540 | 0.13 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $76,260 | $79,440 | $86,630 | $95,650 | $99,420 | $87,760 | ||||
| Hawaii | Hourly | $31.85 | $36.51 | $39.08 | $39.08 | $39.15 | $36.93 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.33 |
| Annual | $66,250 | $75,930 | $81,280 | $81,280 | $81,440 | $76,820 | ||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $30.28 | $37.77 | $37.77 | $46.46 | $46.46 | $39.63 | 90 | 0.12 | 0.19 |
| Annual | $62,980 | $78,550 | $78,550 | $96,640 | $96,640 | $82,440 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $29.03 | $35.50 | $37.25 | $39.28 | $43.30 | $37.13 | 1,000 | 0.59 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $60,370 | $73,840 | $77,480 | $81,710 | $90,060 | $77,230 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.72 | $22.95 | $27.65 | $30.53 | $37.35 | $27.69 | 8,410 | 0.60 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $41,030 | $47,740 | $57,500 | $63,510 | $77,700 | $57,590 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $21.18 | $23.60 | $28.91 | $35.05 | $41.05 | $30.43 | 6,970 | 0.70 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $44,050 | $49,090 | $60,140 | $72,890 | $85,390 | $63,300 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $26.88 | $30.11 | $35.19 | $38.88 | $47.14 | $35.68 | 6,110 | 0.63 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $55,900 | $62,630 | $73,200 | $80,870 | $98,050 | $74,220 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $21.51 | $23.38 | $27.56 | $30.69 | $36.14 | $27.56 | 5,660 | 1.15 | 1.77 |
| Annual | $44,730 | $48,630 | $57,320 | $63,820 | $75,170 | $57,320 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $25.66 | $30.52 | $35.86 | $43.62 | $49.26 | $37.37 | 5,190 | 0.29 | 0.44 |
| Annual | $53,370 | $63,490 | $74,590 | $90,730 | $102,450 | $77,740 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $37.27 | $50.46 | $59.28 | $63.94 | $69.34 | $56.57 | 750 | 0.36 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $77,530 | $104,970 | $123,310 | $133,000 | $144,230 | $117,660 | ||||
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | Hourly | $23.89 | $50.84 | $57.82 | $57.82 | $64.51 | $52.73 | 100 | 0.78 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $49,690 | $105,750 | $120,260 | $120,260 | $134,190 | $109,680 | ||||
| Bellingham, WA | Hourly | $52.56 | $57.68 | $57.68 | $58.16 | $59.37 | $57.30 | 70 | 0.75 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $109,330 | $119,970 | $119,970 | $120,970 | $123,490 | $119,190 | ||||
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | Hourly | $30.02 | $46.49 | $57.55 | $63.36 | $63.36 | $53.27 | 80 | 0.86 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $62,440 | $96,700 | $119,700 | $131,780 | $131,780 | $110,800 | ||||
| Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | Hourly | $32.21 | $48.30 | $52.70 | $59.50 | $61.20 | $51.21 | 70 | 1.32 | 2.04 |
| Annual | $66,990 | $100,470 | $109,620 | $123,760 | $127,290 | $106,520 | ||||
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 | $30.82 | $35.19 | $38.24 | $43.89 | $48.19 | $39.57 | 3,850 | 0.41 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $64,110 | $73,200 | $79,550 | $91,290 | $100,240 | $82,300 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $24.04 | $28.77 | $37.34 | $51.35 | $51.35 | $40.10 | 2,560 | 0.57 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $50,000 | $59,840 | $77,670 | $106,810 | $106,810 | $83,400 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $22.32 | $25.72 | $28.91 | $31.97 | $37.85 | $29.36 | 1,980 | 0.60 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $46,430 | $53,500 | $60,130 | $66,500 | $78,730 | $61,060 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $21.86 | $23.81 | $30.31 | $35.47 | $40.25 | $30.13 | 1,890 | 1.41 | 2.18 |
| Annual | $45,480 | $49,510 | $63,050 | $73,790 | $83,730 | $62,680 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $26.32 | $28.94 | $33.00 | $37.54 | $49.67 | $35.28 | 1,760 | 0.61 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $54,740 | $60,200 | $68,640 | $78,070 | $103,320 | $73,370 | ||||
Top industries employing paramedics
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services employ 39.3% of paramedics nationally (39,550 jobs) at a median $60,000 a year ($28.85 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (38.0%) and General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (17.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services NAICS 621900 | 39,550 | 39.3% | $60,000 | $28.85 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 38,220 | 38.0% | $61,980 | $29.80 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals NAICS 622100 | 17,800 | 17.7% | $61,110 | $29.38 |
| Offices of Physicians NAICS 621100 | 1,290 | 1.3% | $55,900 | $26.87 |
| Outpatient Care Centers NAICS 621400 | 520 | 0.5% | $58,890 | $28.31 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (100,610). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,770 for paramedics in May 2021 and $60,600 in May 2025, with employment of 96,510 and 100,610.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,770 | $22.48 | 96,510 |
| May 2022 | $49,090 | $23.60 | 95,440 |
| May 2023 | $53,180 | $25.57 | 98,770 |
| May 2024 | $58,410 | $28.08 | 99,530 |
| May 2025 | $60,600 | $29.13 | 100,610 |
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 | Washington profile | $50.15 | $104,310 | $61,010 | $133,040 | 2,110 | 0.59 | 0.92 |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $41.65 | $86,630 | $76,260 | $99,420 | 540 | 0.13 | 0.19 |
| 3 | Hawaii profile | $39.08 | $81,280 | $66,250 | $81,440 | 140 | 0.22 | 0.33 |
| 4 | District of Columbia profile | $37.77 | $78,550 | $62,980 | $96,640 | 90 | 0.12 | 0.19 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | $37.25 | $77,480 | $60,370 | $90,060 | 1,000 | 0.59 | 0.91 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $36.68 | $76,300 | $60,320 | $93,910 | 1,690 | 0.57 | 0.88 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $35.98 | $74,840 | $51,850 | $95,900 | 1,210 | 0.62 | 0.95 |
| 8 | California profile | $35.86 | $74,590 | $53,370 | $102,450 | 5,190 | 0.29 | 0.44 |
| 9 | New York profile | $35.19 | $73,200 | $55,900 | $98,050 | 6,110 | 0.63 | 0.97 |
| 10 | Alaska profile | $34.55 | $71,860 | $53,820 | $103,550 | 310 | 0.96 | 1.49 |
| 11 | Maryland profile | $32.05 | $66,660 | $51,020 | $101,860 | 1,910 | 0.69 | 1.07 |
| 12 | Massachusetts profile | $31.89 | $66,340 | $60,410 | $84,540 | 1,860 | 0.51 | 0.79 |
| 13 | Utah profile | $31.45 | $65,420 | $45,820 | $94,620 | 960 | 0.56 | 0.86 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $30.88 | $64,240 | $50,550 | $102,140 | 340 | 0.70 | 1.09 |
| 15 | New Hampshire profile | $30.87 | $64,210 | $53,180 | $79,370 | 420 | 0.61 | 0.95 |
| 16 | Wyoming profile | $30.79 | $64,040 | $47,520 | $80,070 | 230 | 0.83 | 1.28 |
| 17 | Colorado profile | $30.73 | $63,910 | $49,110 | $87,320 | 2,110 | 0.74 | 1.14 |
| 18 | Rhode Island profile | $30.55 | $63,550 | $50,960 | $81,490 | 160 | 0.32 | 0.50 |
| 19 | Maine profile | $30.31 | $63,050 | $54,810 | $78,340 | 470 | 0.74 | 1.14 |
| 20 | North Dakota profile | $29.96 | $62,320 | $48,270 | $75,440 | 220 | 0.51 | 0.78 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania profile | $29.33 | $61,000 | $48,040 | $81,590 | 4,750 | 0.78 | 1.21 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $29.16 | $60,660 | $47,210 | $106,810 | 3,890 | 0.64 | 0.99 |
| 23 | Iowa profile | $29.13 | $60,590 | $47,750 | $78,140 | 1,170 | 0.75 | 1.16 |
| 24 | Virginia profile | $29.08 | $60,480 | $42,520 | $77,280 | 1,960 | 0.48 | 0.74 |
| 25 | Idaho profile | $29.03 | $60,380 | $48,940 | $83,510 | 440 | 0.51 | 0.79 |
| 26 | Vermont profile | $29.02 | $60,360 | $47,140 | $76,150 | 190 | 0.62 | 0.96 |
| 27 | Indiana profile | $29.00 | $60,320 | $46,040 | $76,030 | 2,680 | 0.84 | 1.30 |
| 28 | Florida profile | $28.91 | $60,140 | $44,050 | $85,390 | 6,970 | 0.70 | 1.09 |
| 29 | Wisconsin profile | $28.71 | $59,710 | $46,530 | $75,760 | 1,990 | 0.68 | 1.04 |
| 30 | Nevada profile | $28.50 | $59,280 | $49,320 | $83,580 | 950 | 0.61 | 0.95 |
| 31 | Missouri profile | $28.45 | $59,180 | $45,480 | $81,300 | 3,300 | 1.12 | 1.74 |
| 32 | Arizona profile | $28.17 | $58,600 | $46,180 | $76,540 | 2,200 | 0.68 | 1.05 |
| 33 | Tennessee profile | $27.74 | $57,690 | $41,410 | $80,190 | 3,710 | 1.13 | 1.75 |
| 34 | Georgia profile | $27.72 | $57,660 | $40,600 | $82,980 | 3,250 | 0.66 | 1.03 |
| 35 | Texas profile | $27.65 | $57,500 | $41,030 | $77,700 | 8,410 | 0.60 | 0.92 |
| 36 | North Carolina profile | $27.56 | $57,320 | $44,730 | $75,170 | 5,660 | 1.15 | 1.77 |
| 37 | Nebraska profile | $27.04 | $56,230 | $45,240 | $76,710 | 490 | 0.48 | 0.75 |
| 38 | Louisiana profile | $26.95 | $56,050 | $37,530 | $63,470 | 2,040 | 1.05 | 1.63 |
| 39 | New Mexico profile | $26.70 | $55,530 | $39,830 | $78,010 | 810 | 0.93 | 1.44 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $26.27 | $54,630 | $39,690 | $71,710 | 1,150 | 0.99 | 1.52 |
| 41 | South Carolina profile | $25.74 | $53,550 | $40,710 | $67,180 | 2,250 | 0.98 | 1.51 |
| 42 | Michigan profile | $25.04 | $52,080 | $43,400 | $66,070 | 2,750 | 0.62 | 0.96 |
| 43 | Ohio profile | $24.67 | $51,300 | $38,750 | $72,140 | 3,600 | 0.65 | 1.00 |
| 44 | Kansas profile | $24.53 | $51,020 | $40,780 | $64,090 | 1,030 | 0.71 | 1.10 |
| 45 | Montana profile | $24.47 | $50,890 | $35,590 | $70,190 | 300 | 0.59 | 0.91 |
| 46 | Arkansas profile | $24.19 | $50,310 | $38,840 | $72,880 | 1,170 | 0.90 | 1.39 |
| 47 | Kentucky profile | $23.99 | $49,890 | $40,050 | $66,820 | 1,800 | 0.90 | 1.39 |
| 48 | South Dakota profile | $23.48 | $48,830 | $30,950 | $58,380 | 280 | 0.61 | 0.94 |
| 49 | Alabama profile | $23.34 | $48,540 | $36,160 | $62,230 | 1,700 | 0.80 | 1.24 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $23.30 | $48,460 | $35,930 | $62,800 | 1,090 | 1.55 | 2.40 |
| 51 | Oklahoma profile | $22.50 | $46,790 | $37,180 | $61,310 | 1,590 | 0.93 | 1.44 |
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 29-2043 Paramedics.
- 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 29-2043, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 29-2043.00, 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.