How To Become An Emergency Responder: What It Is and Career Path

What is an emergency responder and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Elyse Zavar PhD

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an emergency responder. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.76 an hour? That's $45,251 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 18,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an emergency responder?

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.

ScoreEmergency ResponderUS Average

Salary

3.5

Avg. Salary $45,251

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.79%

Asian 4.51%

Black or African American 6.56%

Hispanic or Latino 15.39%

Unknown 5.42%

White 67.33%

Gender

female 38.57%

male 61.43%

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

Key steps to become an emergency responder

Explore emergency responder education requirements

Most common emergency responder degrees

Bachelor's

43.1 %

Associate

23.1 %

High School Diploma

15.3 %

Start to develop specific emergency responder skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.82%
EMR	11.74%
CPR	11.49%
Patient Care	10.30%
EMT	8.07%

Complete relevant emergency responder training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New emergency responders 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 emergency responder based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real emergency responder resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed emergency responder usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed emergency responder in most of states. 35 states require emergency responders 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

Gain additional emergency responder certifications

Emergency responder certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific emergency responder certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for emergency responders include Emergency Medical Responder and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

More About Certifications

Research emergency responder duties and responsibilities

Perform and manage procedures including splinting, suturing, electrocardiography and abscess incision and drainage.
Certify school employees in CPR and use of an a.
Respond to emergency situations, treat injure sick patients, treat at scene and or transport to hospital
Act as EMT for patient treatment.

Prepare your emergency responder resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your emergency responder resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an emergency responder resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable emergency responder resume templates

Build a professional emergency responder resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your emergency responder resume.