Emergency responder demographics and statistics in the US
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Emergency responder demographics by:
Emergency responder gender statistics
38.6% of emergency responders are women and 61.4% of emergency responders are men.
- Male, 61.4%
- Female, 38.6%
Emergency responder gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 61.4% |
| Female | 38.6% |
Emergency responder gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$53,412
Female income
$49,912
Emergency responder gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in emergency responder positions over time. Currently, 38.6% of emergency responders are female.
Emergency responder gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 66.19% | 33.81% |
| 2011 | 66.50% | 33.50% |
| 2012 | 65.69% | 34.31% |
| 2013 | 64.36% | 35.64% |
| 2014 | 67.09% | 32.91% |
| 2015 | 66.86% | 33.14% |
| 2016 | 64.11% | 35.89% |
| 2017 | 63.11% | 36.89% |
| 2018 | 61.43% | 38.57% |
| 2019 | 61.60% | 38.40% |
| 2020 | 60.54% | 39.46% |
| 2021 | 61.43% | 38.57% |
Emergency responder related jobs gender ratio
We compared emergency responders with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, guitar technician and armorer technician have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Radiographer, Mammographer | 2% | 98% |
| Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Lead Mammographer | 3% | 97% |
| Emergency Responder | 61% | 39% |
| Driver/Technician | 93% | 7% |
| Armorer Technician | 95% | 5% |
| Guitar Technician | 96% | 4% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Emergency responder demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among emergency responders is White, which makes up 67.3% of all emergency responders. Comparatively, 15.4% of emergency responders are Hispanic or Latino and 6.6% of emergency responders are Black or African American.
- White, 67.3%
- Hispanic or Latino, 15.4%
- Black or African American, 6.6%
- Unknown, 5.4%
- Asian, 4.5%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
Emergency responder race
| Emergency responder race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.3% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 15.4% |
| Black or African American | 6.6% |
| Unknown | 5.4% |
| Asian | 4.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
Emergency responder race and ethnicity over time
See how emergency responder racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Emergency responder race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.32% | 6.49% | 2.00% | 13.27% |
| 2011 | 74.86% | 6.91% | 1.56% | 13.50% |
| 2012 | 75.96% | 6.43% | 1.49% | 12.87% |
| 2013 | 74.97% | 6.36% | 2.60% | 12.94% |
| 2014 | 75.55% | 7.09% | 2.48% | 11.60% |
| 2015 | 73.25% | 7.48% | 3.09% | 13.41% |
| 2016 | 72.47% | 7.72% | 2.67% | 13.72% |
| 2017 | 72.36% | 7.09% | 2.63% | 14.56% |
| 2018 | 71.47% | 6.43% | 3.15% | 14.81% |
| 2019 | 71.82% | 6.93% | 3.48% | 14.46% |
| 2020 | 69.37% | 6.25% | 3.65% | 14.59% |
| 2021 | 67.33% | 6.56% | 4.51% | 15.39% |
Emergency responder wage gap by race
According to our data, asian emergency responders have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Unknown emergency responders have the lowest average salary at $51,732.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $51,732 |
| White | $53,467 |
| Black or African American | $52,436 |
| Asian | $55,246 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $54,251 |
Average emergency responder age
See how the average age of emergency responders varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Emergency responder age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 30 | 35.5 |
| White | 36 | 34 |
| Black or African American | 33 | 31 |
| Asian | 31.5 | 32 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 31 | 29 |
Emergency responder age breakdown
The average age of emergency responders is 40+ years years old, representing 35% of the emergency responder population.
Emergency responder age breakdown
| Emergency Responder Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 35% |
| 30-40 years | 31% |
| 20-30 years | 33% |
Emergency responder educational attainment
The most common degree for emergency responders is bachelor's degree, with 43% of emergency responders earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 23% and associate degree degree at 15%.
- Bachelor's, 43%
- Associate, 23%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 13%
Emergency responders by degree level
| Emergency responder degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 43% |
| Associate | 23% |
| High School Diploma | 15% |
| Master's | 6% |
| Other Degrees | 13% |
Emergency responder jobs you might like
Emergency responder wage gap by degree level
According to the data, emergency responders with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $51,059 annually. With a Associate degree, emergency responders earn a median annual income of $49,051 compared to $42,881 for emergency responders with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,881 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $51,059 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $49,051 |
Emergency responder employment statistics
Most emergency responders work for a private in the government industry.
Company size where emergency responders work
Below, you can see the size of companies where emergency responders work.
Emergency responder jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 23% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 11% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 25% |
| > 10,000 employees | 26% |
Emergency responder jobs by company type
Employees with the emergency responder job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most emergency responders prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Emergency responder jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 11% |
| Public | 19% |
| Private | 52% |
| Government | 18% |
Emergency responder jobs by industry
The most common industries for emergency responders are government, manufacturing and health care.
Emergency responder industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Government | 15% |
| Manufacturing | 11% |
| Health Care | 11% |
| Professional | 11% |
| Education | 9% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Technology | 6% |
| Transportation | 4% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Non Profits | 4% |
| Utilities | 3% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Media | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Emergency responder turnover and employment statistics
Emergency responder unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for emergency responders between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Emergency responder unemployment rate by year
| Year | Emergency responder unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.80% |
| 2011 | 3.17% |
| 2012 | 4.06% |
| 2013 | 3.41% |
| 2014 | 3.55% |
| 2015 | 1.97% |
| 2016 | 1.64% |
| 2017 | 2.14% |
| 2018 | 1.91% |
| 2019 | 1.87% |
| 2020 | 2.45% |
| 2021 | 1.95% |
Average emergency responder tenure
The average emergency responder stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 451 emergency responders resumes in Zippia's database.
Emergency responder tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 18% |
| 1-2 years | 27% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 20% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Emergency responder LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of emergency responders that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Lead Technician | 5.02% | 58,349 |
| Senior Clinical Laboratory Scientist | 8.24% | 134,639 |
| Emergency Responder | 8.30% | - |
| Medical Records Custodian | 9.29% | 64,933 |
| American Board Of Opticianry Certified Optician | 12.53% | 38,888 |
| Anesthesia Technician | 12.80% | 78,132 |
| Supervisor Nuclear Medicine | 21.93% | 12,974 |
Similar emergency responder jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Lead Technician | 5.02% | 58,349 |
| Senior Clinical Laboratory Scientist | 8.24% | 134,639 |
| Medical Records Custodian | 9.29% | 64,933 |
| American Board Of Opticianry Certified Optician | 12.53% | 38,888 |
| Anesthesia Technician | 12.80% | 78,132 |
| Supervisor Nuclear Medicine | 21.93% | 12,974 |
Foreign languages spoken by emergency responders
The most common foreign language among emergency responders is Spanish at 47.6%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Czech at 9.5% and German is the third-most popular at 9.5%.
- Spanish, 47.6%
- Czech, 9.5%
- German, 9.5%
- Mandarin, 9.5%
- Chinese, 4.8%
- Other, 19.1%
Emergency responder languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 47.6% |
| Czech | 9.5% |
| German | 9.5% |
| Mandarin | 9.5% |
| Chinese | 4.8% |
| Other | 19.1% |