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Emergency Medical Technicians: Job Description
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
What Tasks Do Emergency Medical Technicians Take On?
The core tasks performed by emergency medical technicians span:
- 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.
- Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of survivors, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
- Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
- Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities.
- Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
Types of Emergency Medical Technicians Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT)
- Ambulance Driver
- Dispatcher
- EMT Paramedic (Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic)
- EMT-B (Emergency Medical Technician- Basic)
- EMT-I/85
- EMT-I/99
- EMT-P
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 2,764,765 emergency medical technicians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +14.6% over the projection horizon.
Emergency Medical Technicians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $105,175 |
| Hourly median | $50.57 |
| 10th percentile | $59,451 |
| 25th percentile | $82,313 |
| 75th percentile | $128,038 |
| 90th percentile | $150,900 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $61,310 |
| Alaska | $56,900 |
| New Jersey | $49,500 |
| Rhode Island | $49,500 |
| Washington | $48,850 |
| Oregon | $48,070 |
| Connecticut | $47,550 |
| Maryland | $47,390 |
| Virgin Islands | $47,040 |
| New York | $46,000 |
| Massachusetts | $45,970 |
| District of Columbia | $45,920 |
| Maine | $45,720 |
| Minnesota | $45,690 |
| California | $45,680 |
| Delaware | $45,310 |
| New Hampshire | $45,170 |
| Virginia | $45,060 |
| Colorado | $43,950 |
| Wisconsin | $43,340 |
| Wyoming | $41,330 |
| Illinois | $40,780 |
| North Carolina | $40,530 |
| Florida | $40,420 |
| Indiana | $39,850 |
| Vermont | $39,520 |
| South Dakota | $39,520 |
| Idaho | $39,430 |
| Nebraska | $39,370 |
| Iowa | $39,260 |
| Georgia | $39,250 |
| Nevada | $38,980 |
| Michigan | $38,890 |
| South Carolina | $38,670 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,580 |
| Missouri | $38,580 |
| Ohio | $38,140 |
| Arizona | $38,110 |
| North Dakota | $37,670 |
| Tennessee | $37,630 |
| Texas | $37,000 |
| Utah | $36,940 |
| New Mexico | $36,850 |
| Alabama | $36,260 |
| Kentucky | $36,050 |
| Mississippi | $35,980 |
| West Virginia | $35,060 |
| Montana | $34,900 |
| Kansas | $34,650 |
| Louisiana | $33,990 |
| Oklahoma | $32,420 |
| Arkansas | $31,710 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,360 |
Where Emergency Medical Technicians Earn the Most
Compensation for emergency medical technicians vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $46,332 | 14.7% | 0.88 |
| New England | $45,804 | 5.5% | 1.23 |
| Middle Atlantic | $44,545 | 19.1% | 1.28 |
| Rocky Mountains | $40,919 | 3.7% | 0.97 |
| Great Lakes | $40,200 | 14.3% | 1.03 |
| Plains States | $39,780 | 6.5% | 1.10 |
| Southeast | $38,871 | 24.1% | 1.07 |
| Southwest | $36,709 | 11.6% | 0.94 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Emergency Medical Technicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $63,880 | 440 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $58,250 | 750 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $53,920 | 100 |
| Anchorage, AK | AK | $52,140 | 130 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | FL | $51,300 | 110 |
| Vineland, NJ | NJ | $51,040 | 150 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $50,750 | 490 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $50,400 | 1,440 |
Top Industries Employing Emergency Medical Technicians
Most emergency medical technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 124,100 | $40,610 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,730 | $42,790 |
| Educational Services | 620 | $47,940 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 280 | $44,920 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 230 | $37,030 |
| Information | 180 | $107,160 |
| Manufacturing | 140 | $53,560 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 40 | $98,740 |
Emergency Medical Technicians work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
How to Become Emergency Medical Technicians
This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Physician Assistants (Supplemental)
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Supplemental)
- Respiratory Therapists (Primary-Long)
- Registered Nurses (Primary-Short)
- Acute Care Nurses (Primary-Long)
- Critical Care Nurses (Supplemental)
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Nurse Practitioners (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Students preparing for emergency medical technicians often complete programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-2042.00 (Emergency Medical Technicians).
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