How much does an EMT make?
a year · about $21 an hour
A typical EMT in the United States makes $44,470 a year, about $21 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
EMTs answer emergency calls, check a patient's condition, give first aid, and monitor them during an ambulance ride to the hospital. After handing off care, they write notes, clean equipment, and restock the ambulance for the next call.
Did you know? The first civilian, hospital-based ambulance service in the United States began in Cincinnati in 1865, just after the Civil War.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $34,130 and $62,500How do you become one?
In the United States, finish high school or equivalent, then take a state-approved EMT course (usually under a year) and learn CPR/basic life support. Pass the required knowledge and skills exams, then get your state license; age rules vary by state.
School needed: Vocational school or a few years' experience
Good for people who like helping and teaching and building and doing
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, experience and extra training or credentials can help EMTs qualify for more advanced EMS work, which may pay more. Pay also varies by employer and location; long shifts, nights, and weekends affect how many hours someone works.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Hawaii ($66,410), lowest in Oklahoma ($34,170).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $34,130 | $44,470 | $62,500 | about 181,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $66,410 | about 560 |
| New Jersey | $53,610 | about 6,000 |
| Washington | $52,690 | about 3,000 |
| Connecticut | $50,640 | about 2,000 |
| Massachusetts | $50,230 | about 5,000 |
Official definition: Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities. Excludes “Paramedics” (29-2043), “Firefighters” (33-2011), and “Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians” (53-3011).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/print/wage-differences.htm
- www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes292042.htm
- www.nremt.org/Document/EMT-Full-Education-Program
- www.nationalacademies.org/read/11629/chapter/4
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY