Data recently published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put emergency medical technician (EMT) employment at more than 178,000 Americans as of May 2024. The seven-state Great Plains region accounted for over 11,600 U.S. EMT jobs. In general, the Great Plains region was not a good one for EMT pay, as only two states in the region had an annual mean wage level for EMTs that was above the national average. Nearly three-quarters of the region's EMTs lived in a state where the annual mean wage was below the national average for the profession. This included two states in the region, Kansas and South Dakota, that ranked among the ten worst states nationally for EMT annual mean wages. According to May 2024 BLS data, emergency medical technician (EMT) pay in the Great Plains region looked as follows:
 |
| EMT Pay in the Great Plains Region |
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| IA | 1,210 | $44,850 | 20th |
| KS | 1,770 | $35,780 | 46th |
| MN | 2,840 | $46,350 | 15th |
| MO | 3,320 | $40,800 | 32nd |
| NE | 540 | $45,460 | 16th |
| ND | 1,270 | $41,620 | 29th |
| SD | 710 | $39,520 | 41st |
| U.S. | 178,010 | $43,914 | ------- |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 28, 2026
