Average Emergency Medical Technicians Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Emergency Medical Technicians is $44,470 per year. The middle 50% earn between $37,960 and $50,100, with 180,510 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 307 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Emergency Medical Technicians pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $34,130
- 25th
- $37,960
- Median
- $44,470
- 75th
- $50,100
- 90th
- $62,500
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Emergency Medical Technicians earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for emergency medical technicians from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +5.1%
- 9,200 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 14,100
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary training beyond high school is typically required, but a full four-year degree is not always necessary.
Where Emergency Medical Technicians earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where emergency medical technicians work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Hawaii at $66,410, about 49.3% above the national median. At the metro level, Lexington Park, MD leads with a median of $68,160.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $66,410 | 560 |
| Alaska | $57,440 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $53,610 | 6,120 |
| Washington | $52,690 | 2,940 |
| Rhode Island | $51,290 | 430 |
| Connecticut | $50,640 | 2,190 |
| Massachusetts | $50,230 | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $49,270 | 1,970 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park, MD | $68,160 | 80 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | $67,050 | 460 |
| Redding, CA | $60,120 | 80 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $56,430 | 130 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $55,700 | 1,290 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $54,990 | 270 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $54,650 | 830 |
| Bismarck, ND | $53,940 | 80 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see emergency medical technicians pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2021 and 2025, the national median salary for Emergency Medical Technicians rose from $35,470 to $44,470, a gain of +25.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +18.8%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2021 median of $35,470 would need to be worth $42,142 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $44,470 is $2,328 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +5.5% in purchasing power.
Real wages have outpaced inflation by 5.5%, a modest but real gain in purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +25.4%
- 2021–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +18.8%
- US CPI, 2021–2025
- Real change
- +5.5%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Emergency Medical Technicians median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $44,470
- 2024
- $41,340
- 2023
- $38,930
- 2022
- $36,680
- 2021
- $35,470
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2020, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Psychiatric Technicians
- $45,130
- Ophthalmic Medical Technicians
- $45,570
- Pharmacy Technicians
- $45,750
- Opticians, Dispensing
- $47,260
- Medical Records Specialists
- $51,140
- Dietetic Technicians
- $37,640
Common salary questions for Emergency Medical Technicians
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Emergency Medical Technicians workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.