EMT and Paramedic Pay in the Great Lakes States

Data made available earlier this year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that over 257,000 EMTs (emergency medical technicians) and paramedics were employed in the United States as of May 2020. The five Great Lakes states accounted for over 40,000 of those EMT and paramedic jobs. Other than in Illinois, which ranked among the ten best states in the nation for EMT and paramedic annual mean wages, the Great Lakes region is a generally weak one for EMT and paramedic pay.  The other four states in the region, which accounted for more than two-thirds of region's EMT and paramedic employment, all recorded an annual mean wage level for EMTs and paramedics that was below the national average. Moreover, two of those states ranked among the ten worst states in the country for EMT and paramedic annual mean wages. Further examination of May 2020 BLS data revealed the following about EMT and paramedic pay in the Great Lakes states:

EMT and Paramedic Pay in the Great Lakes States

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IL	12,410	$48,040	6th
IN	6,330	$36,360	36th
MI	6,880	$34,410	44th
OH	9,150	$34,680	42nd
WI	5,670	$36,790	32nd
U.S.	257,700	$40,370	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on May 10, 2021