Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 53-3011

Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

Median pay sits 56% below the mid peer in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (neighbors include Transportation Inspectors, Crane and Tower Operators, Locomotive Engineers, Subway and Streetcar Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians: Transportation Inspectors ($92K) , Crane and Tower Operators ($68K) , Locomotive Engineers ($81K) , Subway and Streetcar Operators ($86K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-3011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Remove and replace soiled linens or equipment to maintain sanitary conditions
  2. 2. Drive ambulances or assist ambulance drivers in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons
  3. 3. Report facts concerning accidents or emergencies to hospital personnel or law enforcement officials
  4. 4. Place patients on stretchers, and load stretchers into ambulances, usually with assistance from other attendants
  5. 5. Accompany and assist emergency medical technicians on calls
  6. 6. Replace supplies and disposable items on ambulances
  7. 7. Perform minor maintenance on emergency medical services vehicles, such as ambulances
  8. 8. Clean and wash rigs, ambulances, or equipment
  9. 9. Earn and maintain appropriate certifications
  10. 10. Administer first aid, such as bandaging, splinting, or administering oxygen
  11. 11. Restrain or shackle violent patients

Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians: O*NET ranks Critical Thinking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 53-3011 - lead skill Critical Thinking at 3.5 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Critical Thinking 3.5
  2. 2. Service Orientation 3.5
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.4
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  5. 5. Speaking 3.1
  6. 6. Active Learning 3.1
  7. 7. Social Perceptiveness 3.1
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.0
  2. 2. English Language 3.9
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 3.7
  4. 4. Administration and Management 3.4
  5. 5. Law and Government 3.3
  6. 6. Transportation 3.3
Pay vs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers
-56%
vs mid peer median $81,410
This role $35,450/yr
$35K
National median
↓ -1%
Growth 2024-2034
1,400
Annual openings
12,630
Estimated US jobs
Transportation Inspectors
Highest-pay peer · $92K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

1. Oregon $40,900
2. Utah $37,660
3. Virginia $36,980
4. Connecticut $73,730
5. New York $37,230
6. Illinois $36,730
7. Wisconsin $37,450
8. Massachusetts $39,480
9. Maryland $38,410
10. North Dakota $37,690

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Transportation Inspectors $92,100
  2. 2. Locomotive Engineers $81,410
  3. 3. Subway and Streetcar Operators $86,380
  4. 4. Wellhead Pumpers $69,960
  5. 5. Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers $68,840
  6. 6. Crane and Tower Operators $68,080

Among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers on this card, Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians sits 56% below the mid peer median ($81,410). Its own median is $35,450.

Employment Projections expect -1% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $40,900. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Transportation Inspectors at $92,100. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians pay-rank #49 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

On the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table (50 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians lands at #49, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians pays 56% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-3011

Oregon · top state for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

$41K published median

Utah · #2 state pay

$38K · behind Oregon

Transportation Inspectors

Highest-pay peer vs Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians · $92K

Crane and Tower Operators

Lower-pay peer beside Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians · $68K

Compare Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians

Against another occupation

Transportation Inspectors card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians land on the Transportation and Material Moving Occupations median table? ▼
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians is pay-rank #49 of 50 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants ($36K), Parking Attendants ($35K), Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment ($36K), Packers and Packagers, Hand ($36K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians. Leading ones include: Remove and replace soiled linens or equipment to maintain sanitary conditions; Drive ambulances or assist ambulance drivers in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons; Report facts concerning accidents or emergencies to hospital personnel or law enforcement officials; Place patients on stretchers, and load stretchers into ambulances, usually with assistance from other attendants. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians? ▼
For SOC 53-3011, O*NET importance scores lead with Critical Thinking (3.5), Service Orientation (3.5), Active Listening (3.4), Reading Comprehension (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $35,450 as the national median for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $27,350 to $45,960. Beside Transportation Inspectors ($92,100), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians is -1%. Projected annual openings: about 1,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
Oregon ($40,900), Utah ($37,660), Virginia ($36,980) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-3011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics