Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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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.
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 |
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 |
Top paying states for Paramedics:
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 |
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 |
United States Department of Labor
