Paramedics Career, Salary and Skills
Paramedics have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $60,600 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 100,610. Wage data is published for 318 locations.
Occupation description
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.
O*NET code
29-2043.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Not recorded
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$60,600
Hourly median
$29.13
Employment
100,610
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Coordination | 3.75 | 3.38 |
| Active Listening | 3.62 | 3.50 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.50 | 3.62 |
| Speaking | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Monitoring | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Active Learning | 3.38 | 3.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.38 | 3.25 |
Typical tasks
- Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.
- Perform emergency cardiac care, such as cardioversion and manual defibrillation.
- Perform emergency invasive intervention before delivering patient to an acute care facility.
- Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
- Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
- Comfort and reassure patients.
- Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.
- Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments.
Technology
- Apple iOS
- eClinicalWorks EHR software
- Epocrates
- HyperTox
- Informed EMS Field Guide
- Iterum eMedic
- MedDataSolutions Regist*r
- Medical Wizards ER & ICU ToolBox
- Medical Wizards ER Suite
- Medical Wizards Paramedics ToolBox
- MEDITECH software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
Paramedics salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Paramedics Salary in TXMedian $57,500 · Employment 8,410
- Paramedics Salary in FLMedian $60,140 · Employment 6,970
- Paramedics Salary in NYMedian $73,200 · Employment 6,110
- Paramedics Salary in NCMedian $57,320 · Employment 5,660
- Paramedics Salary in CAMedian $74,590 · Employment 5,190
- Paramedics Salary in PAMedian $61,000 · Employment 4,750
- Paramedics Salary in ILMedian $60,660 · Employment 3,890
- Paramedics Salary in New York, NYMedian $79,550 · Employment 3,850
- Paramedics Salary in TNMedian $57,690 · Employment 3,710
- Paramedics Salary in OHMedian $51,300 · Employment 3,600
- Paramedics Salary in MOMedian $59,180 · Employment 3,300
- Paramedics Salary in GAMedian $57,660 · Employment 3,250
Related careers
- Physician AssistantsNational median $135,880
- Family Medicine PhysiciansNational median $244,180
- Cardiovascular Technologists and TechniciansNational median $74,310
- Nurse MidwivesNational median $134,040
- Clinical Nurse SpecialistsNational median $97,550
- Nurse PractitionersNational median $132,300
- Nurse AnesthetistsNational median $236,590
- Anesthesiologist AssistantsNational median $135,880
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.