BLS emergency medical technician pay at every level and in every state, ambulance vs fire department pay, long shifts and take-home after 2026 tax
Emergency medical technicians earned a median of $21.38 an hour in May 2025, $44,470 a year on a 40-hour basis, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 180,510 paid EMTs. The bottom tenth earned under $16.41 and the top tenth over $30.05. EMTs often work long shifts and more than 40 hours, and overtime isn't in those figures, so real annual pay is often higher than the median salary suggests.
This is the BLS line for emergency medical technicians (SOC 29-2042) on employers' payrolls; paramedics have their own line and calculator. Volunteer EMTs, who do much of the same work, are not in these figures (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.41 | $34,130 | $2,844 | $29,603 |
| 25th percentile | $18.25 | $37,960 | $3,163 | $32,681 |
| Median | $21.38 | $44,470 | $3,706 | $37,912 |
| 75th percentile | $24.09 | $50,100 | $4,175 | $42,435 |
| 90th percentile | $30.05 | $62,500 | $5,208 | $52,399 |
Hawaii pays EMTs far more than anywhere else, $31.93 an hour, ahead of Alaska ($27.61) and New Jersey ($25.78). Oklahoma ($16.43) and West Virginia ($16.52) pay least. California employs the most EMTs, 21,880, at $22.30; New York pays $23.27 and Texas $17.91.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $31.93 | $66,410 | 560 |
| Alaska | $27.61 | $57,440 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $25.78 | $53,610 | 6,120 |
| Washington | $25.33 | $52,690 | 2,940 |
| Rhode Island | $24.66 | $51,290 | 430 |
| Connecticut | $24.35 | $50,640 | 2,190 |
| Massachusetts | $24.15 | $50,230 | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $23.69 | $49,270 | 1,970 |
| New York | $23.27 | $48,400 | 14,840 |
| Maryland | $23.12 | $48,100 | 3,400 |
| Minnesota | $23.12 | $48,090 | 3,160 |
| Wyoming | $22.63 | $47,070 | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $22.50 | $46,790 | 1,010 |
| Delaware | $22.49 | $46,790 | 950 |
| District of Columbia | $22.43 | $46,650 | 370 |
| California | $22.30 | $46,380 | 21,880 |
| Maine | $22.28 | $46,340 | 1,110 |
| Colorado | $22.00 | $45,750 | 3,060 |
| Vermont | $21.93 | $45,600 | 790 |
| Georgia | $21.90 | $45,550 | 6,260 |
| Virginia | $21.84 | $45,420 | 4,490 |
| North Carolina | $21.27 | $44,250 | 6,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $20.82 | $43,310 | 10,160 |
| Wisconsin | $20.70 | $43,060 | 3,930 |
| Indiana | $20.55 | $42,740 | 4,160 |
| Illinois | $20.32 | $42,260 | 7,840 |
| Missouri | $20.27 | $42,160 | 2,800 |
| Nebraska | $20.05 | $41,710 | 540 |
| Iowa | $19.55 | $40,660 | 1,510 |
| South Carolina | $19.41 | $40,370 | 4,010 |
| Tennessee | $19.39 | $40,330 | 3,860 |
| Ohio | $19.34 | $40,220 | 5,560 |
| Florida | $19.17 | $39,870 | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $19.17 | $39,870 | 4,230 |
| North Dakota | $19.07 | $39,670 | 760 |
| Arizona | $18.99 | $39,500 | 3,970 |
| Utah | $18.72 | $38,930 | 1,280 |
| Idaho | $18.67 | $38,840 | 780 |
| Alabama | $18.18 | $37,810 | 2,020 |
| Nevada | $18.06 | $37,560 | 1,530 |
| New Mexico | $18.05 | $37,550 | 1,260 |
| Texas | $17.91 | $37,260 | 12,770 |
| Kentucky | $17.69 | $36,800 | 2,770 |
| South Dakota | $17.69 | $36,800 | 600 |
| Mississippi | $17.61 | $36,630 | 1,390 |
| Arkansas | $17.42 | $36,230 | 1,120 |
| Montana | $17.38 | $36,140 | 860 |
| Louisiana | $17.25 | $35,870 | 2,450 |
| Kansas | $17.20 | $35,780 | 1,510 |
| West Virginia | $16.52 | $34,360 | 900 |
| Oklahoma | $16.43 | $34,170 | 2,410 |
Outpatient care centers have the highest EMT median, $67,560, though they employ few. Among the big employers, private hospitals pay $47,160, local government $45,780, and ambulance services, which employ 46% of EMTs, $42,260 (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers | $67,560 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; private | $47,160 |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $45,780 |
| Ambulance services | $42,260 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; local | $41,650 |
Most EMTs work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week. Emergencies don't keep office hours, so schedules include nights, weekends and holidays, and some services run extended shifts of 12, 18 or 24 hours (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Ambulance services employ 46% of EMTs, local government 24% and private hospitals 16%.
Which overtime rule applies depends on who employs you. EMTs at a city, county, fire district or state fire department who are trained in fire suppression and have the authority to fight fires count as fire protection employees, owed overtime only after 212 hours in a 28-day period under section 7(k) (DOL Fact Sheet #8). EMTs at private ambulance companies and hospitals are owed time and a half after 40 hours a week. On a shift of 24 hours or more, employer and employee may agree to leave out a sleep period of up to 8 hours — but only if sleeping facilities are provided and you can usually sleep through; a call counts as work, and if calls keep you from a reasonable night's sleep the whole period counts (29 CFR 785.22).
BLS's hourly figure is straight time. On extended shifts what an EMT takes home per shift depends on how many of the hours are paid. The table multiplies the BLS median and 75th percentile EMT wages by the paid hours in a 12-, 18- and 24-hour shift, and shows a 24-hour shift where an 8-hour sleep period is excluded by agreement (29 CFR 785.22). Overtime and any night premium are on top of these straight-time figures.
| Shift | Paid hours | At the median | At the 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-hour shift | 12 | $257 | $289 |
| 18-hour shift | 18 | $385 | $434 |
| 24-hour shift, every hour paid | 24 | $513 | $578 |
| 24-hour shift, 8-hour sleep period excluded by agreement | 16 | $342 | $385 |
EMTs complete a postsecondary program, typically under a year for EMT-Basic and up to 2 years for Advanced EMT, offered by technical institutes, community colleges and emergency-care training centers. Every state requires a license; most require national certification, others their own exam, and some add a minimum age and background check. Employers typically want a driver's license and may prefer ambulance driver certification. Paramedic programs require Advanced EMT certification first (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your EMT pay:
$21.38 an hour ($44,470 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $18.25 to $24.09 an hour.
Hawaii ($31.93 an hour, $66,410 a year), then Alaska and New Jersey; Oklahoma pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
It depends on the agreement. On a shift of 24 hours or more, the employer and EMT may agree to exclude up to 8 hours of sleep, but only if sleeping facilities are provided and the EMT can usually sleep uninterrupted. Calls during the sleep period are paid, and if they prevent a reasonable night's sleep the whole period is paid (29 CFR 785.22).
In the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, local government EMTs have a higher median than EMTs at ambulance services, and outpatient care centers the highest. The table on this page has the figures.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.