Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Emergency medical technician salary
Average emergency medical technician salary
$39,743
Average Emergency Medical Technician Salary
The average salary for an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in the United States is $39,743 per year or about $19 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on location, experience, and the industry in which EMTs operate. For instance, EMTs in urban areas may earn more due to higher demand and cost of living.
Salary by State
Different states offer varying compensation levels for EMTs. For example, states like California and New York tend to offer higher salaries compared to others. Understanding where to work can directly impact your earnings as an EMT.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience also plays a crucial role in determining salary. Entry-level EMTs may earn less, while those with years of service or specialized training can command higher wages. Additionally, working in specialized fields such as emergency medicine or critical care can lead to increased compensation.
Job Opportunities
As an EMT, there are numerous job opportunities available across various sectors, including hospitals, private ambulance services, and government agencies. This diversity not only offers potential for professional growth but also allows for better salary prospects.
Let Zippi find your next emergency medical technician job
Let Zippi find your next emergency medical technician job
Where can an Emergency Medical Technician earn more?
Emergency medical technician salary estimates from across the web
Average emergency medical technician salary by state
The average emergency medical technician salary in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average emergency medical technician salary states are Alabama, Arizona, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for emergency medical technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $54,185 | $26.05 |
| 2 | Delaware | $50,596 | $24.32 |
| 3 | West Virginia | $46,142 | $22.18 |
| 4 | District of Columbia | $54,920 | $26.40 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $49,758 | $23.92 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $53,789 | $25.86 |
| 7 | New York | $51,505 | $24.76 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $48,420 | $23.28 |
| 9 | Illinois | $44,978 | $21.62 |
| 10 | Vermont | $49,871 | $23.98 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $46,560 | $22.38 |
| 12 | Maine | $44,841 | $21.56 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $51,591 | $24.80 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $42,208 | $20.29 |
| 15 | Virginia | $46,539 | $22.37 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $49,824 | $23.95 |
| 17 | Nevada | $40,453 | $19.45 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $41,200 | $19.81 |
| 19 | Georgia | $42,037 | $20.21 |
| 20 | Alaska | $43,405 | $20.87 |
| 21 | Michigan | $44,666 | $21.47 |
| 22 | Louisiana | $43,578 | $20.95 |
| 23 | Indiana | $42,009 | $20.20 |
| 24 | California | $41,798 | $20.10 |
| 25 | Ohio | $43,861 | $21.09 |
| 26 | Texas | $39,272 | $18.88 |
| 27 | Oregon | $44,022 | $21.16 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $41,840 | $20.12 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $41,003 | $19.71 |
| 30 | Maryland | $47,465 | $22.82 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $37,220 | $17.89 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $40,880 | $19.65 |
| 33 | Washington | $42,795 | $20.57 |
| 34 | Iowa | $38,040 | $18.29 |
| 35 | Idaho | $36,499 | $17.55 |
| 36 | Missouri | $37,521 | $18.04 |
| 37 | Utah | $39,126 | $18.81 |
| 38 | Alabama | $36,335 | $17.47 |
| 39 | New Mexico | $35,727 | $17.18 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $36,592 | $17.59 |
| 41 | Montana | $36,952 | $17.77 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $35,610 | $17.12 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $40,018 | $19.24 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $39,093 | $18.79 |
| 45 | Florida | $37,724 | $18.14 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $35,404 | $17.02 |
| 47 | Kansas | $36,491 | $17.54 |
| 48 | North Dakota | $36,360 | $17.48 |
| 49 | Colorado | $36,433 | $17.52 |
| 50 | Arizona | $35,888 | $17.25 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $35,016 | $16.83 |
Highest paying cities for emergency medical technicians
The highest-paying cities for emergency medical technicians are New Brunswick, NJ, New York, NY, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Brunswick, NJ | $54,165 | $26.04 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $51,658 | $24.84 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $51,411 | $24.72 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $48,762 | $23.44 |
| 5 | Milwaukee, WI | $46,925 | $22.56 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $45,345 | $21.80 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $44,943 | $21.61 |
| 8 | Toledo, OH | $44,178 | $21.24 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $43,891 | $21.10 |
| 10 | Lafayette, LA | $43,767 | $21.04 |
| 11 | Des Moines, WA | $42,895 | $20.62 |
| 12 | Raleigh, NC | $42,563 | $20.46 |
| 13 | San Jose, CA | $42,388 | $20.38 |
| 14 | Austin, MN | $42,332 | $20.35 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $42,054 | $20.22 |
| 16 | Lafayette, IN | $41,889 | $20.14 |
| 17 | Las Vegas, NV | $40,540 | $19.49 |
| 18 | San Antonio, TX | $39,849 | $19.16 |
| 19 | Memphis, TN | $39,782 | $19.13 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $39,031 | $18.76 |
Emergency Medical Technicians are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Emergency medical technician salary details
An emergency medical technician's salary ranges from $26,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $59,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an emergency medical technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
| 75th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| Average | $39,743 | $3,312 | $19 |
| 25th Percentile | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15 |
| 10th Percentile | $26,000 | $2,167 | $13 |
Highest paying emergency medical technician jobs
The highest paying types of emergency medical technicians are emergency department registered nurse, ambulance driver, and firefighter/paramedic.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight Paramedic | $50,261 | $4,188 | $24.16 | 13,976 |
| Firefighter/Paramedic | $51,764 | $4,314 | $24.89 | 33,534 |
| Paramedic | $44,640 | $3,720 | $21.46 | 27,896 |
| Medic | $35,815 | $2,985 | $17.22 | 17,384 |
| Emergency Department Registered Nurse | $81,260 | $6,772 | $39.07 | 661,518 |
| Emergency Department Volunteer | $33,232 | $2,769 | $15.98 | 47,377 |
Top companies hiring emergency medical technicians now:
Which companies pay emergency medical technicians the most?
Emergency medical technician salaries at Lewistown Hospital and Fluor are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average emergency medical technician salary at companies like City of Detroit and Southern California Hospitals are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewistown Hospital | $65,687 | $31.58 |
| 2 | Fluor Corporation | $65,672 | $31.57 |
| 3 | City of Detroit | $63,584 | $30.57 |
| 4 | Southern California Hospitals | $62,109 | $29.86 |
| 5 | Nacogdoches Memorial Health | $61,776 | $29.70 |
| 6 | Cook Children's Medical Center | $61,463 | $29.55 |
| 7 | General Dynamics Mission Systems | $59,191 | $28.46 |
| 8 | Mission Regional Medical Center | $58,246 | $28.00 |
| 9 | Baptist Health | $57,740 | $27.76 |
| 10 | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center | $57,032 | $27.42 |
| 11 | ARA | $56,504 | $27.17 |
| 12 | Memorial Health | $56,116 | $26.98 |
| 13 | North Arkansas Regional Medical Center | $55,831 | $26.84 |
| 14 | Alameda Health System | $55,697 | $26.78 |
| 15 | Children's Hospital Los Angeles | $55,097 | $26.49 |
| 16 | Dignity Health | $54,865 | $26.38 |
| 17 | Lawrence General Hospital | $54,856 | $26.37 |
| 18 | Erlanger Health System | $54,856 | $26.37 |
| 19 | Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital | $54,730 | $26.31 |
| 20 | Johnson County Community College | $54,108 | $26.01 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Emergency Medical Technician salary by industry
The average emergency medical technician salary varies across industries:
- The average emergency medical technician salary in the government industry is $39,453, the highest of any industry.
- The average emergency medical technician salary in the finance industry is $37,303.
- Emergency medical technicians in the utilities industry earn an average salary of $35,895, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for emergency medical technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $39,453 | $18.97 |
| 2 | Health Care | $37,303 | $17.93 |
| 3 | Professional | $37,161 | $17.87 |
| 4 | Utilities | $35,895 | $17.26 |
High paying emergency medical technician jobs
Emergency medical technician salary trends
The average emergency medical technician salary has risen by $4,898 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average emergency medical technician earned $34,845 annually, but today, they earn $39,743 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for emergency medical technicians over the last decade.
Compare emergency medical technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average emergency medical technician salary over time
Compare emergency medical technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Emergency medical technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $39,700 | $19.11 | +2.7% |
| 2024 | $38,700 | $18.59 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | $38,900 | $18.72 | +2.7% |
| 2022 | $37,900 | $18.21 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | $37,100 | $17.82 | +2.1% |
Recently added emergency medical technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health | EMT-Ambulance | Thief River Falls-PRN | Thief River Falls, MN | 06/30/2025 | $39,653 |
| Worlds of Fun | EMT | Kansas City, MO | 06/30/2025 | $37,566 |
| Hamilton Health Enterprises, Inc. | Emt/Paramedic | Sallisaw, OK | 06/30/2025 | $43,827 |
| Hamilton Health Enterprises, Inc. | Emt/Paramedic | Houston, TX | 06/30/2025 | $41,740 |
| Total Access Urgent Care | EMT-Team Lead-ST. Louis | Saint Louis, MO | 06/30/2025 | $39,653 |
| Caesars Entertainment | Security Officer and EMT Cert | Shelbyville, IN | 06/29/2025 | $35,479 |
| Allied Universal Security | Security Officer-EMT | North Haven, CT | 06/29/2025 | $46,540 |
| ATC Healthcare | Emergency Medical Technician EMT | Asheville, NC | 06/29/2025 | $54,262 |
| Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service | Emt/Firefighter BMW | Greer, SC | 06/29/2025 | $45,500 |
| Amr | EMT | Independence, IA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
Emergency medical technician salary FAQs
Search for emergency medical technician jobs