There were approximately 260,000 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics working in the U.S. as of May 2019 according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. EMTs and paramedics mostly work for ambulatory healthcare service providers and hospitals, with smaller numbers employed in physician offices and outpatient care centers. EMTs and paramedics earn lower salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations. According to BLS data, as of May 2019 the national mean wage for EMTs and paramedics was $38,830 annually, in comparison to the $53,490 annual mean wage the average worker in all occupations in the U.S. Pay for the profession varies widely from region-to-region, with EMTs and paramedics in some areas making 50% or more annually than their counterparts elsewhere. This salary and wage disparity is readily seen in BLS data from May 2019, which reports the following about EMT-Paramedic pay in the top 20 metro markets in the U.S.:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York-Newark-Jersey City | 17,560 | $45,420 | ||
| 2 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 6,610 | $41,910 | ||
| 3 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | 7,940 | $49,070 | ||
| 4 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | 4,200 | $36,580 | ||
| 5 | Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land | 4,670 | $37,270 | ||
| 6 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | 2,340 | $49,150 | ||
| 7 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach | 3,120 | $33,790 | ||
| 8 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | 6,260 | $38,280 | ||
| 9 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta | 4,930 | $36,930 | ||
| 10 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | 2,160 | $38,380 | ||
| 11 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | 4,340 | $42,400 | ||
| 12 | San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | 3,550 | $54,180 | ||
| 13 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 3,180 | $40,700 | ||
| 14 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | 2,560 | $36,270 | ||
| 15 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | 2,360 | $55,990 | ||
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | 2,420 | $47,110 | ||
| 17 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | 1,890 | $36,450 | ||
| 18 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | 2,010 | $36,820 | ||
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Lakewood | 2,070 | $44,550 | ||
| 20 | St. Louis | 3,230 | $35,950 | ||
| National | 260,600 | $38,830 | |||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on November 13, 2020
