What is an ambulance driver-paramedic and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Elyse Zavar PhD

An ambulance driver-paramedic is an individual who works in the emergency medical services (EMS) profession. They are responsible for driving an ambulance and providing medical care to patients who require emergency treatment. This includes assessing a patient's condition, administering medications, performing CPR, and transporting patients to hospitals for further treatment. They work in high-pressure environments, often responding to life-threatening situations. They must be able to make quick decisions and work effectively as part of a team.

What general advice would you give to an ambulance driver-paramedic?

Elyse Zavar PhD

Associate Professor, University of North Texas

Prior to entering the field, gaining hands-on experience through internships and volunteer opportunities can help new professionals not only stand out in the job market, but many employers will recognize and count these as years of experience thus increasing salaries. When offered a position, research comparable salaries and do not be afraid to negotiate salary, among other benefits, when discussing a job offer.

ScoreAmbulance Driver-ParamedicUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,814

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.75%

Asian 4.50%

Black or African American 6.48%

Hispanic or Latino 15.23%

Unknown 5.25%

White 67.78%

Gender

female 22.60%

male 77.40%

Age - 34

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an ambulance driver-paramedic?

Pros

Helping save lives and make a difference
Variety of medical emergencies to respond to
Fast-paced and challenging work environment
Job security and steady demand for emergency medical services
Competitive salary and benefits packages

Cons

Exposure to infectious diseases and hazardous materials
High stress and emotional toll of dealing with critical patients
Long hours and irregular work schedules, including overnight shifts
Physical demands of lifting, moving, and transferring patients
Potential for burnout due to high workload and emotionally taxing situations

Key steps to become an ambulance driver-paramedic

Explore ambulance driver-paramedic education requirements

Most common ambulance driver-paramedic degrees

Associate

29.9 %

Bachelor's

29.9 %

High School Diploma

12.0 %

Start to develop specific ambulance driver-paramedic skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.85%
Acls	10.88%
BLS	10.78%
EMS	9.06%
Life Support	7.99%

Complete relevant ambulance driver-paramedic training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New ambulance driver-paramedics learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an ambulance driver-paramedic based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real ambulance driver-paramedic resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed ambulance driver-paramedic usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed ambulance driver-paramedic in most of states. 35 states require ambulance driver-paramedics to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Kentucky	Specific course required	Third-party exam required	Advanced Emergency Medical Technician
Maryland	Degree required	Third-party exam required	EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN (PARAMEDIC) AND CARDIAC RESCUE
Alabama	-	-	Registered Intermediate Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
Alaska	Specific course required	State exam required	Emergency Medical Technician
Arkansas	Specific course required	Third-party exam required	Emergency Medical Technician

Research ambulance driver-paramedic duties and responsibilities

Manage critically ill/injure patients effectively with rapid assessments, aggressive resuscitation, packaging and transport to appropriate definitive care emergency departments.
Function as a NREMT-Paramedic, providing advance life support to emergency and non-emergency patients.
Assist out laying basic ambulances services with advance level of patient treatment.
Provide emergency treatment to accident victims and medical emergent patients.

Prepare your ambulance driver-paramedic resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your ambulance driver-paramedic resume.

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