How much does a emergency medical technician make?

The median pay is $21.38 per hour — roughly $44,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.41/hr (10th percentile) to $30.05/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

What does a emergency medical technician actually do all day?

Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings. Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures. Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.

Health Care

Emergency Medical Technicians

Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

What it pays
Emergency Medical Technicians earn a median of $21.38/hr — about $44,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.41/hr; the top 10% earn $30.05/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
Comfort and reassure patients.
Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of survivors, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

The work is mostly indoors; you're around people constantly; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of emergency medical technicians are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, hands-on and analytical.

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Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a emergency medical technician make?: The median pay is $21.38 per hour — roughly $44,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.41/hr (10th percentile) to $30.05/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a emergency medical technician?: The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a emergency medical technician actually do all day?: Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings. Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures. Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.