Emergency room technician vs flight paramedic

The differences between emergency room technicians and flight paramedics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a flight paramedic has an average salary of $50,261, which is higher than the $35,967 average annual salary of an emergency room technician.

The top three skills for an emergency room technician include patients, EMT and BLS. The most important skills for a flight paramedic are advanced life support, patients, and EMT.

Emergency room technician vs flight paramedic overview

	Emergency Room Technician	Flight Paramedic
Yearly salary	$35,967	$50,261
Hourly rate	$17.29	$24.16
Growth rate	7%	7%
Number of jobs	129,444	13,976
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 46%
Average age	36	36
Years of experience	-	-

What does an emergency room technician do?

An Emergency Room Technician works in emergency departments dealing with patients who suffer from medical emergencies. They also assist with transporting patients into and out of the department for different medical tests.

What does a flight paramedic do?

Flight Paramedics are responsible for providing emergency medical care to patients while in transport to a medical facility. Their duties include carrying out pre-hospital life support medical care, managing patient care documentation, participate in clinical experiences, conduct equipment maintenance, reporting failure of equipment, and maintaining supplies. They are responsible for healthcare referrals, outreach education activities, pre-mission checklists, and employee orientation. Flight Paramedics also contribute to the departmental quality by undertaking research and ensure operations comply with safety standards.

Emergency room technician vs flight paramedic salary

Emergency room technicians and flight paramedics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Room Technician	Flight Paramedic
Average salary	$35,967	$50,261
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $45,000	Between $40,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between emergency room technician and flight paramedic education

There are a few differences between an emergency room technician and a flight paramedic in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Room Technician	Flight Paramedic
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 46%
Most common major	Nursing	Medical Technician
Most common college	-	-

Emergency room technician vs flight paramedic demographics

Here are the differences between emergency room technicians' and flight paramedics' demographics:

	Emergency Room Technician	Flight Paramedic
Average age	36	36
Gender ratio	Male, 41.5% Female, 58.5%	Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 4.5% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 4.5% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between emergency room technician and flight paramedic duties and responsibilities

Emergency room technician example responsibilities.

Perform CPR and other emergency care as directed (O2therapy, EKG monitoring, use of other specialize medical equipment).
Ensure required brochures and pamphlets of HIPPA are available to patients in all clinics.
Transport patients from ER to various areas of the hospital such as radiology, oncology, or ICU.
Demonstrate compassion and sensitivity to patients and family.
Perform and interpret all electrocardiograms (ECG's) on cardiac patients.
Assist orthopedic MD and fellows with traction pins, casting, splinting and amputations.

Flight paramedic example responsibilities.

Administer and manage advanced cardiac life support including medications and intubation of compromise airways.
Manage critically ill/injure patients effectively with rapid assessments, aggressive resuscitation, packaging and transport to appropriate definitive care emergency departments.
Schedule EMT's and paramedics for monthly shifts and training.
Coauthor unit medical protocols the paramedic skillset alongside AEMT and EMT.
Provide critical and ALS care and emergency service on domestic and international flights.
Provide all ALS care need to maintain a stable patient during the flight.

Emergency room technician vs flight paramedic skills

Common emergency room technician skills

Patients, 23%
EMT, 9%
BLS, 7%
Emergency Room, 6%
CPR, 6%
Phlebotomy, 6%

Common flight paramedic skills

Advanced Life Support, 15%
Patients, 12%
EMT, 10%
BLS, 10%
Acls, 8%
EMS, 6%

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Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Emergency Room Technician
Emergency Room Technician vs Flight Paramedic

Updated January 8, 2025

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