 Employment
and Earnings
Earnings of EMTs and paramedics depend on
the employment setting and geographic location of their jobs, as well as
their training and experience. Median hourly wages of EMTs and
paramedics are about $14.10. The middle 50 percent earned between $11.13
and $18.28. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.08, and the
highest 10 percent earned more than $23.77.
Median hourly wages in the
industries employing the largest numbers of EMTs and paramedics in May
2008 were $12.99 in other ambulatory healthcare services and $15.45 in
local government.
 In
terms of employment, EMTs and paramedics hold about 210,700 jobs in the
United States. Most career EMTs and paramedics work in metropolitan
areas. Volunteer EMTs and paramedics are more common in small cities,
towns, and rural areas. These individuals volunteer for fire
departments, emergency medical services, or hospitals and may respond to
only a few calls per month.
Paid EMTs and
paramedics were employed in a number of industries. About 45 percent
worked as employees of ambulance services. About 29 percent worked in
local government. Another 20 percent worked in hospitals. The remainder work in various industries providing emergency
services.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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