How much do EMTs make?

EMT salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Emergency Medical Technicians (SOC 29-2042) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

EMTs in the US earned a median of $44,470 a year ($21.38 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $37,960 to $50,100.

Median annual pay: $44,470; Mean $46,830
Median hourly pay: $21.38; Mean $22.52
Typical range (10th–90th): $34.1K–$62.5K; $34,130 to $62,500
US jobs: 180,510; +5.8% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an EMT: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Hawaii

EMT pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$34,130
25th percentile$37,960
Median$44,470
75th percentile$50,100
90th percentile$62,500

Half of all EMTs earned more than $44,470 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $34,130; the top 10% made over $62,500. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $37,960 to $50,100.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$34,130	$16.41	$2,844
25th	$37,960	$18.25	$3,163
Median (50th)	$44,470	$21.38	$3,706
75th	$50,100	$24.09	$4,175
90th	$62,500	$30.05	$5,208
Mean (average)	$46,830	$22.52	$3,903

EMT salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for EMTs by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. Hawaii $66,410
2. Alaska $57,440
3. New Jersey $53,610
4. Washington $52,690
5. Rhode Island $51,290

Lowest-paying states

51. Oklahoma $34,170
50. West Virginia $34,360
49. Kansas $35,780
48. Louisiana $35,870
47. Montana $36,140

Best after cost of living: Hawaii. Its median of $66,410 is worth about $60,400 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$37,810	39	$42,568	31	$18.18	2,020	0.96
Alaska	$57,440	2	$56,116	2	$27.61	310	0.94
Arizona	$39,500	36	$39,234	45	$18.99	3,970	1.22
Arkansas	$36,230	46	$41,674	36	$17.42	1,120	0.86
California	$46,380	16	$41,889	35	$22.30	21,880	1.20
Colorado	$45,750	18	$44,395	26	$22.00	3,060	1.06
Connecticut	$50,640	6	$48,876	7	$24.35	2,190	1.29
Delaware	$46,790	13	$46,880	14	$22.49	950	1.96
District of Columbia	$46,650	15	$42,447	32	$22.43	370	0.53
Florida	$39,870	33	$38,554	47	$19.17	6,060	0.61
Georgia	$45,550	20	$47,304	12	$21.90	6,260	1.28
Hawaii	$66,410	1	$60,400	1	$31.93	560	0.90
Idaho	$38,840	38	$40,673	41	$18.67	780	0.91
Illinois	$42,260	26	$42,278	33	$20.32	7,840	1.29
Indiana	$42,740	25	$45,795	20	$20.55	4,160	1.30
Iowa	$40,660	29	$46,330	17	$19.55	1,510	0.97
Kansas	$35,780	49	$39,726	43	$17.20	1,510	1.05
Kentucky	$36,800	43	$40,817	39	$17.69	2,770	1.39
Louisiana	$35,870	48	$40,666	42	$17.25	2,450	1.26
Maine	$46,340	17	$47,749	9	$22.28	1,110	1.73
Maryland	$48,100	10	$45,827	19	$23.12	3,400	1.23
Massachusetts	$50,230	7	$47,496	11	$24.15	4,550	1.25
Michigan	$39,870	34	$41,438	38	$19.17	4,230	0.96
Minnesota	$48,090	11	$48,762	8	$23.12	3,160	1.07
Mississippi	$36,630	45	$42,126	34	$17.61	1,390	1.19
Missouri	$42,160	27	$46,423	16	$20.27	2,800	0.95
Montana	$36,140	47	$38,185	50	$17.38	860	1.68
Nebraska	$41,710	28	$46,291	18	$20.05	540	0.53
Nevada	$37,560	40	$37,568	51	$18.06	1,530	0.98
New Hampshire	$46,790	14	$44,919	23	$22.50	1,010	1.48
New Jersey	$53,610	3	$49,272	5	$25.78	6,120	1.43
New Mexico	$37,550	41	$40,721	40	$18.05	1,260	1.44
New York	$48,400	9	$44,848	24	$23.27	14,840	1.53
North Carolina	$44,250	22	$46,912	13	$21.27	6,680	1.35
North Dakota	$39,670	35	$44,594	25	$19.07	760	1.77
Ohio	$40,220	32	$43,353	29	$19.34	5,560	1.00
Oklahoma	$34,170	51	$38,899	46	$16.43	2,410	1.41
Oregon	$49,270	8	$47,668	10	$23.69	1,970	1.00
Pennsylvania	$43,310	23	$44,388	27	$20.82	10,160	1.68
Rhode Island	$51,290	5	$50,147	4	$24.66	430	0.86
South Carolina	$40,370	30	$43,062	30	$19.41	4,010	1.74
South Dakota	$36,800	44	$41,542	37	$17.69	600	1.32
Tennessee	$40,330	31	$43,899	28	$19.39	3,860	1.18
Texas	$37,260	42	$38,390	49	$17.91	12,770	0.91
Utah	$38,930	37	$39,377	44	$18.72	1,280	0.74
Vermont	$45,600	19	$46,551	15	$21.93	790	2.61
Virginia	$45,420	21	$44,924	22	$21.84	4,490	1.09
Washington	$52,690	4	$49,237	6	$25.33	2,940	0.83
West Virginia	$34,360	50	$38,392	48	$16.52	900	1.29
Wisconsin	$43,060	24	$45,762	21	$20.70	3,930	1.34
Wyoming	$47,070	12	$50,782	3	$22.63	400	1.43

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for EMTs

301 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Lexington Park, MD	$68,160	$67,646	80
Urban Honolulu, HI	$67,050	$60,427	460
Redding, CA	$60,120	$59,712	80
Trenton-Princeton, NJ	$56,430	$54,691	130
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$55,700	$50,120	1,290
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT	$54,990	$51,458	270
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$54,650	$49,492	830
Bismarck, ND	$53,940	$59,259	80
Wilmington, NC	$53,850	$55,848	240
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$53,820	$47,813	13,780

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	13,780	$53,820	$47,813
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	6,610	$45,090	$39,704
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	5,610	$44,020	$42,492
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	4,970	$47,790	$46,600
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	3,580	$51,480	$44,528
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	3,410	$50,560	$46,700
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	3,090	$47,500	$47,472
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	3,000	$37,900	$36,764
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	2,840	$39,500	$38,232
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	2,680	$38,890	$39,431

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves EMT pay: employers and settings

Employer type is the clearest pay factor for EMTs. Private ambulance companies, listed in our data as other ambulatory health care services, employ 47.1% of EMTs at a median of $42,470. Local government agencies, including city EMS and fire-based services, pay $45,770 and general hospitals pay $46,890. Outpatient care centers pay the most ($67,560) but employ only 2.2%. State government pays $49,930.

Location matters a lot. Hawaii has the highest median at $66,410, followed by Alaska at $57,440, New Jersey at $53,610, Washington at $52,690, and Rhode Island at $51,290. The lowest are Kansas at $35,780, West Virginia at $34,360, and Oklahoma at $34,170. Hawaii leads even after cost of living, at $60,400.

Pay runs from $34,130, the 10th percentile, to $62,500, the 90th. Many EMTs work extended shifts of 12 to 24 hours, and some work more than 40 hours a week, so overtime can raise yearly earnings. The biggest raise usually comes from moving up to paramedic, a separate and higher-paid occupation.

Where EMTs work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	47.1%	$42,470
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	23.5%	$45,770
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	19.8%	$46,890
Outpatient Care Centers	2.2%	$67,560
Offices of Physicians	1.5%	$40,490
Amusement Parks and Arcades	0.5%	$44,450

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	129,930	$44,150
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	2,220	$49,930
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	48,360	$45,530

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

EMT pay over time

Median annual pay, 2021–2025

$44.5K $35.5K

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $35,470 in 2021 to $44,470 in 2025, up 25% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2021 median is worth $42,357 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 5% over the period.

The series starts in 2021 because BLS changed how it defines or publishes this occupation before then, so earlier figures are not comparable.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What EMTs do

An emergency medical technician (EMT) is the basic-level ambulance clinician who responds to 911 calls and moves patients between facilities. On a call, the EMT sizes up the scene, checks breathing, pulse and blood pressure, controls bleeding, splints fractures, gives oxygen, uses an AED and helps patients take certain medications such as an epinephrine auto-injector. They lift the patient onto a stretcher, load the ambulance and keep monitoring on the way, then hand off to emergency department staff with a verbal report and a written patient care record.

EMTs often work in pairs, either with another EMT or with a paramedic, who handles advanced care such as IV medications and cardiac monitoring. Nearly half work for private ambulance services; others work for city and county EMS agencies and fire departments, hospitals and event venues. Many interfacility jobs involve non-emergency transfers to dialysis, nursing homes and hospitals. Shifts of 12 or 24 hours, nights, weekends and heavy lifting are standard, and exposure to infection and violent scenes comes with the work.

A typical day

Check the ambulance, oxygen, stretcher and medical supplies at the start of each shift
Drive to calls with lights and siren and size up the scene for hazards
Assess patients' airway, breathing, circulation and vital signs
Give basic care such as CPR, bleeding control, splinting and oxygen
Lift and move patients safely onto stretchers and into the ambulance
Report to emergency department nurses and doctors at handoff
Write a patient care report and restock and clean the rig

Also called: emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician (emt), first responder.

How to become an EMT

Full guide

To become an EMT, you finish a state-approved EMT course (usually one semester or less), pass the National Registry EMT exam and a state-approved skills exam, and get your state EMT certification or license. Most people are working within 3 to 6 months of starting class.

Typical time: 3-6 months; Fastest: About 2-3 months
Minimum education: State-approved EMT course (nondegree certificate); most courses expect a high school diploma or equivalent and CPR certification
License: Required in all 50 states and DC (state EMT certification or license; most states use the National Registry exam)
Typical training cost: $2.4K–$4.7K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an EMT: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 3-6 months; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $2.4K–$4.7K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $44,470; $6,510 below the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 5–11%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

The median for EMTs is below the median for all US jobs, so the case for training rests on the work itself, entry speed and local pay rather than a pay premium. This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for EMTs

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +5.8%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 181,900; 192,500 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 13,800; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: —; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects EMT jobs to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035, from 181,900 to 192,500. That is faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. There will be about 13,800 openings a year, most of them from EMTs who move into other occupations or leave the workforce. Demand comes from a growing middle-aged and older population, with more falls, heart attacks and strokes, and from emergencies such as car crashes, overdoses and disasters that will always need an ambulance crew.

Related careers and their pay

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

EMT salary FAQ

How much do EMTs make an hour?

The median hourly wage for EMTs was $21.38 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $16.41 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $30.05. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays EMTs the most?

Hawaii has the highest median pay for EMTs, $66,410 a year, followed by Alaska ($57,440) and New Jersey ($53,610). After adjusting for each state's price level, Hawaii comes out ahead at about $60,400 in national-average dollars.

Do EMTs make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of EMTs earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $44,470, and the top 10% earn more than $62,500. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

What is the difference between an EMT and a paramedic?

EMTs provide basic life support: CPR, oxygen, splinting, bleeding control, an AED and a short list of medications. Paramedics are the advanced level. After working as EMTs, they complete a longer program and can start IVs, give many more drugs, read heart rhythms and manage airways with advanced devices. BLS tracks them as separate occupations, and paramedics earn more.

Do EMTs earn more at fire departments or private ambulance companies?

In our data, public agencies pay somewhat more. EMTs in local government, which includes city and county EMS and fire-based services, have a median of $45,770 against $42,470 for private ambulance services, where most EMTs work. Hospital-based EMTs have $46,890. Many fire departments hire firefighters who also hold EMT certification, which is a separate job with its own hiring process.

Has EMT pay gone up?

Yes. The median rose from $35,470 in 2021 to $44,470 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2021 median was worth $42,357 and so EMTs gained ground even after inflation. Many EMTs still use the job as a step toward paramedic, nursing or fire service, where pay is higher.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 29-2042
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-2042.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
EMTs and Paramedics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
The Updated EMR and EMT Certification Examinations, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
EMT Full Education Program Pathway, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
California Code of Regulations, Title 22, Division 9 (EMS Authority regulations effective January 1, 2025), California Emergency Medical Services Authority · checked October 28, 2026
EMT Recertification, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026

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