Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 29-2042

Emergency Medical Technicians

Median pay sits 87% below the mid peer in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (neighbors include Cardiologists, Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, Physicians, Pathologists).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Emergency Medical Technicians: Cardiologists ($496K) , Obstetricians and Gynecologists ($293K) , Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons ($352K) , Physicians, Pathologists ($312K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Emergency Medical Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 29-2042 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings
  2. 2. Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures
  3. 3. Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge
  4. 4. Comfort and reassure patients
  5. 5. Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of survivors, or…
  6. 6. Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel
  7. 7. Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities
  8. 8. Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher
  9. 9. Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device
  10. 10. Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first aid equipment and supplies
  11. 11. Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment
  12. 12. Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as stomach suction, airway management, or heart monitoring, during ambulance…
Pay vs Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers
-87%
vs mid peer median $335,550
This role $44,470/yr
$44K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
14,100
Annual openings
180,510
Estimated US jobs
Cardiologists
Highest-pay peer · $496K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Emergency Medical Technicians

1. Washington $52,690
2. Alaska $57,440
3. Maryland $48,100
4. Oregon $49,270
5. Rhode Island $51,290
6. Connecticut $50,640
7. New Jersey $53,610
8. Hawaii $66,410
9. New York $48,400
10. Massachusetts $50,230

Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations titles

  1. 1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons $352,220
  2. 2. Physicians, Pathologists $312,400
  3. 3. Obstetricians and Gynecologists $292,910
  4. 4. Radiologists $420,860
  5. 5. Dermatologists $328,730
  6. 6. Cardiologists $496,010

Among Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations peers on this card, Emergency Medical Technicians sits 87% below the mid peer median ($335,550). Its own median is $44,470.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 14,100 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award 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: Washington at $52,690. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Cardiologists at $496,010. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Emergency Medical Technicians pay-rank #70 in Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

On the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations median table (71 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Emergency Medical Technicians lands at #70, 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.

Emergency Medical Technicians pays 87% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Emergency Medical Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 29-2042

Washington · top state for Emergency Medical Technicians

$53K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$57K · behind Washington

Cardiologists

Highest-pay peer vs Emergency Medical Technicians · $496K

Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Lower-pay peer beside Emergency Medical Technicians · $293K

Compare Emergency Medical Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Emergency Medical Technicians with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Emergency Medical Technicians

Against another occupation

Cardiologists card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Emergency Medical Technicians land on the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations median table? ▼
Emergency Medical Technicians is pay-rank #70 of 71 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Psychiatric Technicians ($45K), Ophthalmic Medical Technicians ($46K), Pharmacy Technicians ($46K), Opticians, Dispensing ($47K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do emergency medical technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Emergency Medical Technicians. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
What is the OEWS national median for Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $44,470 as the national median for Emergency Medical Technicians. The published 10th-90th range is $34,130 to $62,500. Beside Cardiologists ($496,010), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Emergency Medical Technicians is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 14,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Emergency Medical Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Emergency Medical Technicians? ▼
Washington ($52,690), Alaska ($57,440), Maryland ($48,100) 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 Emergency Medical Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 29-2042. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for 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