Emergency Medical Technicians
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
Also called: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) · First Responder
Median pay (national)
$41,340
$31,410–$60,780 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
177,980
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+5.1%
~14,100 openings/yr
Typical entry
Postsecondary nondegree award
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for emergency medical technicians shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $60,780 versus $31,410 at the bottom 10% — 1.9x. The median of $41,340 leaves roughly 47% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +5.1% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 14,100 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 53 states with released data, Hawaii pays the most for this role (median $61,310, +48% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $25,360 — a 142% spread for the same job title.
Tailor your resume to Emergency Medical Technicians
Honest tailoring
See how your resume lines up with Emergency Medical Technicians
Refit re-angles your real experience toward this role using the skills above — and never invents skills you don't have. A no-fabrication gate checks every change before you see it.
Free. No account needed to see your first re-fit.
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities.
- Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
- Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
- Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first aid equipment and supplies.
Tools & technology
- MEDITECH software
- Epocrates
- HyperTox
- Informed EMS Field Guide
- Iterum eMedic
- MedDataSolutions Regist*r
- Medical Wizards ER & ICU ToolBox
- Medical Wizards ER Suite
- Medical Wizards Paramedics ToolBox
- Mosby's Drug Consult
- Palmtree EMS Field Reference Guide
- Palmtree Pocket EKG
- PEPID EMS
- Skyscape medical software
- Skyscape Rosen and Barkin's 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult
- TechOnSoftware HazMatCE Pro