How much do paramedics make?

Paramedic salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Paramedics (SOC 29-2043) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

Paramedics in the US earned a median of $60,600 a year ($29.13 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $49,660 to $73,470.

Median annual pay: $60,600; Mean $63,360
Median hourly pay: $29.13; Mean $30.46
Typical range (10th–90th): $44.2K–$84.8K; $44,230 to $84,850
US jobs: 100,610; +5.7% 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 a paramedic: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: Washington

Paramedic pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$44,230
25th percentile$49,660
Median$60,600
75th percentile$73,470
90th percentile$84,850

Half of all paramedics earned more than $60,600 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $44,230; the top 10% made over $84,850. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $49,660 to $73,470.

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	$44,230	$21.27	$3,686
25th	$49,660	$23.88	$4,138
Median (50th)	$60,600	$29.13	$5,050
75th	$73,470	$35.32	$6,123
90th	$84,850	$40.80	$7,071
Mean (average)	$63,360	$30.46	$5,280

Paramedic salary by state

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

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

Highest-paying states

1. Washington $104,310
2. New Jersey $86,630
3. Hawaii $81,280
4. District of Columbia $78,550
5. Connecticut $77,480

Lowest-paying states

51. Oklahoma $46,790
50. West Virginia $48,460
49. Alabama $48,540
48. South Dakota $48,830
47. Kentucky $49,890

Best after cost of living: Washington. Its median of $104,310 is worth about $97,474 at national-average prices.


Alabama	$48,540	49	$54,648	47	$23.34	1,700	0.80
Alaska	$71,860	10	$70,204	8	$34.55	310	0.96
Arizona	$58,600	32	$58,206	39	$28.17	2,200	0.68
Arkansas	$50,310	46	$57,869	41	$24.19	1,170	0.90
California	$74,590	8	$67,368	13	$35.86	5,190	0.28
Colorado	$63,910	17	$62,017	29	$30.73	2,110	0.73
Connecticut	$77,480	5	$74,780	4	$37.25	1,000	0.59
Delaware	$64,240	14	$64,364	18	$30.88	340	0.70
District of Columbia	$78,550	4	$71,473	7	$37.77	90	0.12
Florida	$60,140	28	$58,155	40	$28.91	6,970	0.70
Georgia	$57,660	34	$59,880	35	$27.72	3,250	0.66
Hawaii	$81,280	3	$73,924	5	$39.08	140	0.21
Idaho	$60,380	25	$63,229	22	$29.03	440	0.51
Illinois	$60,660	22	$60,685	33	$29.16	3,890	0.64
Indiana	$60,320	27	$64,632	17	$29.00	2,680	0.84
Iowa	$60,590	23	$69,039	11	$29.13	1,170	0.75
Kansas	$51,020	44	$56,646	43	$24.53	1,030	0.71
Kentucky	$49,890	47	$55,336	44	$23.99	1,800	0.90
Louisiana	$56,050	38	$63,544	19	$26.95	2,040	1.05
Maine	$63,050	19	$64,967	16	$30.31	470	0.74
Maryland	$66,660	11	$63,511	20	$32.05	1,910	0.69
Massachusetts	$66,340	12	$62,729	25	$31.89	1,860	0.51
Michigan	$52,080	42	$54,128	49	$25.04	2,750	0.62
Minnesota	$76,300	6	$77,367	3	$36.68	1,690	0.57
Mississippi	$54,630	40	$62,827	23	$26.27	1,150	0.98
Missouri	$59,180	31	$65,164	15	$28.45	3,300	1.12
Montana	$50,890	45	$53,769	50	$24.47	300	0.59
Nebraska	$56,230	37	$62,406	27	$27.04	490	0.48
Nevada	$59,280	30	$59,292	37	$28.50	950	0.61
New Hampshire	$64,210	15	$61,643	30	$30.87	420	0.61
New Jersey	$86,630	2	$79,620	2	$41.65	540	0.13
New Mexico	$55,530	39	$60,220	34	$26.70	810	0.93
New York	$73,200	9	$67,827	12	$35.19	6,110	0.63
North Carolina	$57,320	36	$60,768	32	$27.56	5,660	1.15
North Dakota	$62,320	20	$70,055	9	$29.96	220	0.51
Ohio	$51,300	43	$55,296	45	$24.67	3,600	0.65
Oklahoma	$46,790	51	$53,265	51	$22.50	1,590	0.93
Oregon	$74,840	7	$72,406	6	$35.98	1,210	0.61
Pennsylvania	$61,000	21	$62,518	26	$29.33	4,750	0.78
Rhode Island	$63,550	18	$62,133	28	$30.55	160	0.32
South Carolina	$53,550	41	$57,121	42	$25.74	2,250	0.97
South Dakota	$48,830	48	$55,122	46	$23.48	280	0.61
Tennessee	$57,690	33	$62,795	24	$27.74	3,710	1.13
Texas	$57,500	35	$59,244	38	$27.65	8,410	0.60
Utah	$65,420	13	$66,172	14	$31.45	960	0.56
Vermont	$60,360	26	$61,618	31	$29.02	190	0.62
Virginia	$60,480	24	$59,820	36	$29.08	1,960	0.48
Washington	$104,310	1	$97,474	1	$50.15	2,110	0.59
West Virginia	$48,460	50	$54,147	48	$23.30	1,090	1.55
Wisconsin	$59,710	29	$63,457	21	$28.71	1,990	0.68
Wyoming	$64,040	16	$69,090	10	$30.79	230	0.83

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 paramedics

262 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$123,310	$110,957	750
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA	$120,260	$116,003	100
Bellingham, WA	$119,970	$116,099	70
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA	$119,700	$113,345	80
Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA	$109,620	$107,006	70
Kennewick-Richland, WA	$101,250	$101,170	80
Redding, CA	$88,740	$88,137	40
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$84,480	$76,506	110
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$83,090	$71,869	780
Ogden, UT	$82,650	$82,363	50

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	3,850	$79,550	$70,672
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	2,560	$77,670	$74,975
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	1,980	$60,130	$60,966
St. Louis, MO-IL	1,890	$63,050	$66,307
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	1,760	$68,640	$66,931
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	1,650	$68,160	$59,708
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	1,570	$60,300	$58,493
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	1,490	$61,940	$61,904
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN	1,310	$63,450	$65,862
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	1,240	$66,460	$61,386

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

What moves paramedic pay: employers and settings

Paramedic pay depends on who runs the ambulance and where. In our data, local government paramedics, many of them in fire departments, have a median of $61,740 and edge out private employers at $60,120. Hospitals pay $61,110 and the much smaller group in state government reaches $64,100. Private ambulance services, the largest employer, sit at $60,000. Firefighter-paramedics often hold firefighter titles with a paramedic premium, so a fire department job can look different from these medians.

State is the biggest factor. Washington leads by a wide margin with a median of $104,310, followed by New Jersey at $86,630, Hawaii at $81,280, and the District of Columbia. Near the bottom are West Virginia at $48,460, with Oklahoma lowest at $46,790. Washington still comes out on top after living costs.

Overtime is a major part of paramedic income because of 24-hour shifts, mandatory holdovers and staffing gaps, so annual pay depends on hours worked. Across the occupation, pay runs from $44,230, the 10th percentile, to $84,850, the 90th. Higher-paying roles include flight and critical care transport, which require experience and extra certifications.

Where paramedics work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services	39.3%	$60,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	38%	$61,980
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	17.7%	$61,110
Offices of Physicians	1.3%	$55,900
Outpatient Care Centers	0.5%	$58,890
Other Support Services	0.5%	$53,110

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	57,150	$60,120
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	820	$64,100
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	42,640	$61,740

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

Paramedic pay over time

Median annual pay, 2021–2025

$60.6K $46.8K

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

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

The median rose from $46,770 in 2021 to $60,600 in 2025, up 30% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2021 median is worth $55,851 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay grew 9% 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 paramedics do

A paramedic is the highest level of EMS clinician on most ambulances. Where an EMT gives basic care, a paramedic can start IV lines, give dozens of emergency drugs, read a 12-lead ECG, shock or pace a failing heart, and manage an airway with advanced devices. On a call, the paramedic usually leads patient care: sizing up the scene, deciding what is wrong, treating on the way and handing the patient over to the emergency department with a verbal and written report.

Private ambulance companies (counted as other ambulatory health care services) employ 39.3% of paramedics in our data, and local government, mostly fire departments and county or city EMS agencies, employs another 38%. Hospitals employ 17.7%, some on hospital-based ambulances or flight teams and some in emergency departments. Paramedics usually work with an EMT partner, alongside firefighters and police at the scene. Shifts are often 12 or 24 hours, including nights, weekends and holidays, and the work involves heavy lifting, kneeling and exposure to violence, disease and traumatic scenes.

A typical day

Check the rig at the start of a shift: drugs, oxygen, monitor, stretcher and airway kit
Size up the scene for hazards, then assess patients and decide what to treat first
Start IVs, give medications and run cardiac monitoring and defibrillation on the way to the hospital
Manage airways with bag-valve masks, supraglottic devices or intubation
Direct EMTs and firefighters at the scene and call ahead to the emergency department
Write a detailed patient care report after every call
Restock and decontaminate the ambulance, then wait for the next dispatch

Also called: critical care paramedic, firefighter paramedic, first responder, flight paramedic.

How to become a paramedic

Full guide

To become a paramedic, you first get certified and usually work as an EMT, then complete an accredited paramedic program (about 1-2 years), pass the National Registry Paramedic exam and get a state license. Most people take about 2 to 3 years from their first EMT class.

Typical time: 2-3 years; Fastest: About 18 months
Minimum education: EMT certification plus completion of a CAAHEP-accredited paramedic program (certificate or associate degree)
License: Required in all 50 states and DC; most states use National Registry certification
Typical training cost: $7.1K–$11.9K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming a paramedic: 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: 2-3 years; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $7.1K–$11.9K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $60,600; $9,620 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 12–20%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($9,620 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year to 1.2 years after training ends (2-3 years in our guide). 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 paramedics

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +5.7%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 102,200; 108,000 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 4,300; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 0.5%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects paramedic jobs to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, from 102,200 to 108,000, faster than the 3.5% expected for all occupations. About 4,300 openings a year are expected, mostly to replace paramedics who leave the field, which happens often because of burnout and the physical toll.

Demand is tied to an aging population, which brings more falls, strokes and heart attacks, and to the steady stream of crashes, overdoses and other emergencies. Because so many openings come from turnover, experienced paramedics with a clean record are rarely short of employers to apply to.

Related careers and their pay

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

Paramedic salary FAQ

How much do paramedics make an hour?

The median hourly wage for paramedics was $29.13 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $21.27 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $40.80. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays paramedics the most?

Washington has the highest median pay for paramedics, $104,310 a year, followed by New Jersey ($86,630) and Hawaii ($81,280). After adjusting for each state's price level, Washington comes out ahead at about $97,474 in national-average dollars.

Do paramedics make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of paramedics earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $60,600, and the top 10% earn more than $84,850. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Do firefighter paramedics make more than ambulance paramedics?

Often, but the gap in our data is small. Paramedics in local government, which includes most fire departments, have a median of $61,740 against $60,000 at private ambulance services. Many firefighter-paramedics hold firefighter job titles and earn a premium for the paramedic license, so their pay may not show up fully in these figures. Fire departments also tend to offer pensions.

Has paramedic pay gone up?

Yes, faster than inflation. The median rose from $46,770 in 2021 to $60,600 in 2025. In 2025 dollars, the 2021 median was worth $55,851 and so paramedics earn noticeably more in real terms than four years earlier, as agencies raised pay to fill open positions.

Which states have the most paramedic jobs?

Texas has the most paramedics, with 8,410, followed by Florida with 6,970, New York with 6,110, North Carolina with 5,660 and California with 5,190. Job counts depend on how each state organizes EMS: in some places fire departments run most ambulances, while in others private companies or county services do. The top-paying state is Washington, where the median is $104,310, well ahead of the rest.

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 29-2043
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (29-2043.00), 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 New AEMT Certification Examination and New Paramedic Certification Examination (FAQ), National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
Paramedic Recertification and Certification Examination, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
EMT Recertification and Certification Examination, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
Paramedic Candidate Handbook: Candidate Responsibilities, National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians · checked October 28, 2026
Potential Paramedic Students, Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026

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