There were approximately 161,000 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  EMTs work in varied settings, including ambulance service providers, public and private hospitals, and local government agencies. Unlike many other trained healthcare professionals, emergency medical technicians earn lower average salaries and wages than workers in most other occupations.  Per BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for EMTs was $36,690 annually.  Pay for the profession varies widely from state to state, with EMTs in some states making double annually what their peers earn elsewhere. As of May 2021, according to BLS data the ten best and worst states for emergency medical technician pay were:

The Best and Worst States for Emergency Medical Technician Pay

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
HI	540	$55,600	1st
AK	380	$51,330	2nd
MD	2,400	$50,770	3rd
DC	420	$48,500	4th
IL	8,000	$44,460	5th
MA	4,190	$43,160	6th
RI	620	$42,460	7th
CA	17,500	$42,420	8th
CT	2,460	$41,120	9th
NY	12,030	$41,120	10th
U.S.	161,400	$36,690	-------
UT	1,370	$32,350	42nd
MT	610	$31,940	43rd
MI	3,570	$31,650	44th
AR	800	$30,580	45th
MS	1,490	$29,350	46th
KY	2,480	$29,250	47th
WV	1,390	$28,530	48th
AL	2,520	$28,030	49th
OK	1,960	$27,980	50th
KS	1,480	$26,190	51st

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

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 8, 2022