Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

29-2043 Paramedics

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. Excludes “Emergency Medical Technicians” (29-2042) and “Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians” (53-3011).


National estimates for Paramedics
Industry profile for Paramedics
Geographic profile for Paramedics

National estimates for Paramedics:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Paramedics:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
96,510 1.7 % $ 23.80 $ 49,500 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for Paramedics:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 16.55 $ 17.85 $ 22.48 $ 28.27 $ 35.67
Annual Wage (2) $ 34,420 $ 37,120 $ 46,770 $ 58,810 $ 74,200


Industry profile for Paramedics:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Paramedics are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Paramedics, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Paramedics:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 40,320 12.93 $ 22.57 $ 46,950
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 32,290 0.60 $ 25.52 $ 53,090
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 17,470 0.31 $ 23.67 $ 49,230
Other Support Services 1,860 0.66 $ 19.12 $ 39,770
Offices of Physicians 1,620 0.06 $ 26.30 $ 54,690

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Paramedics:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 40,320 12.93 $ 22.57 $ 46,950
Other Support Services 1,860 0.66 $ 19.12 $ 39,770
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 32,290 0.60 $ 25.52 $ 53,090
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 17,470 0.31 $ 23.67 $ 49,230
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 100 0.21 $ 38.26 $ 79,580

Top paying industries for Paramedics:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 100 0.21 $ 38.26 $ 79,580
State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 40 (7) $ 33.95 $ 70,620
Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories 160 0.05 $ 26.33 $ 54,760
Offices of Physicians 1,620 0.06 $ 26.30 $ 54,690
Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) 40 0.01 $ 25.63 $ 53,310


Geographic profile for Paramedics:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Paramedics are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Paramedics, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of paramedics by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Paramedics:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 9,150 0.75 1.09 $ 21.99 $ 45,730
New York 5,660 0.65 0.95 $ 27.56 $ 57,320
California 5,150 0.31 0.45 $ 27.97 $ 58,190
Florida 4,970 0.58 0.84 $ 22.46 $ 46,710
North Carolina 4,910 1.11 1.62 $ 20.48 $ 42,610


Map of location quotient of paramedics by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Paramedics:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Virginia 930 1.41 2.06 $ 19.02 $ 39,550
Maine 720 1.22 1.78 $ 21.92 $ 45,590
Tennessee 3,360 1.13 1.64 $ 22.20 $ 46,170
North Carolina 4,910 1.11 1.62 $ 20.48 $ 42,610
Oklahoma 1,690 1.08 1.58 $ 20.07 $ 41,750


Map of annual mean wages of paramedics by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Paramedics:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 2,280 0.71 1.04 $ 39.81 $ 82,810
New Jersey 970 0.25 0.37 $ 34.22 $ 71,180
District of Columbia 120 0.19 0.28 $ 31.22 $ 64,940
Connecticut 1,100 0.70 1.02 $ 29.91 $ 62,210
Maryland 2,290 0.90 1.31 $ 28.62 $ 59,520



Map of employment of paramedics by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Paramedics:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 4,050 0.47 0.68 $ 31.48 $ 65,490
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 3,310 0.78 1.14 $ 30.37 $ 63,180
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 2,280 0.88 1.29 $ 22.44 $ 46,670
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,250 0.63 0.92 $ 23.24 $ 48,340
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,930 0.67 0.97 $ 21.35 $ 44,400
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 1,540 0.60 0.87 $ 28.78 $ 59,860
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 1,510 0.57 0.83 $ 28.92 $ 60,140
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,370 0.24 0.35 $ 28.84 $ 59,990
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 1,330 1.06 1.55 $ 28.82 $ 59,950
St. Louis, MO-IL 1,100 0.86 1.26 $ 21.22 $ 44,140


Map of location quotient of paramedics by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Paramedics:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Jackson, TN 180 2.77 4.04 $ 20.70 $ 43,050
Johnstown, PA 130 2.69 3.92 $ 18.90 $ 39,310
Asheville, NC 490 2.59 3.79 $ 20.27 $ 42,160
New Bern, NC 110 2.44 3.56 $ 19.10 $ 39,730
Lewiston-Auburn, ME 110 2.38 3.48 $ 25.54 $ 53,130
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 120 2.38 3.47 $ 16.10 $ 33,490
Port St. Lucie, FL 310 2.06 3.01 $ 28.00 $ 58,240
Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 70 1.83 2.68 $ 22.11 $ 45,990
New Bedford, MA 110 1.77 2.58 $ 26.67 $ 55,480
Alexandria, LA 100 1.76 2.58 $ 23.86 $ 49,630