Paramedics
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.
Also called: First Responder · Flight Paramedic · Paramedic
Median pay (national)
$58,410
$40,130–$82,420 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
99,530
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+5%
~4,900 openings/yr
Typical entry
Postsecondary nondegree award
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for paramedics shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $82,420 versus $40,130 at the bottom 10% — 2.1x. The median of $58,410 leaves roughly 41% 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% from 2024 to 2034 — faster than the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 4,900 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 51 states with released data, Washington pays the most for this role (median $100,780, +73% vs the national median), while Puerto Rico sits lowest at $27,180 — a 271% spread for the same job title.
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What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.
- 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.
- Coordinate with treatment center personnel to obtain patients' vital statistics and medical history, to determine the circumstances of the emergency, and to administer emergency treatment.
- Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
- Instruct emergency medical response team about emergency interventions to ensure correct application of procedures.
- Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
- Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments.
Tools & technology
- Apple iOS
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- MEDITECH software
- R
- 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