BLS paramedic salaries in every state and at every level, fire department vs ambulance pay, long shifts and take-home after 2026 tax
Paramedics earned a median salary of $60,600 in May 2025 ($29.13 an hour), according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' count of 100,610. The middle half earned between $49,660 and $73,470 and the top tenth over $84,850. Those are straight-time figures: overtime on long shifts is on top.
This is the BLS line for paramedics (SOC 29-2043) on employers' payrolls. EMTs, who give more basic care, have a separate line and calculator, and volunteer paramedics aren't counted. 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 | $21.27 | $44,230 | $3,686 | $37,719 |
| 25th percentile | $23.88 | $49,660 | $4,138 | $42,082 |
| Median | $29.13 | $60,600 | $5,050 | $50,872 |
| 75th percentile | $35.32 | $73,470 | $6,123 | $60,516 |
| 90th percentile | $40.80 | $84,850 | $7,071 | $68,522 |
Washington stands out at $104,310, the only state where the paramedic median tops $100,000, followed by New Jersey ($86,630) and Hawaii ($81,280). Oklahoma's $46,790 is the lowest. Texas employs the most paramedics, 8,410, at $57,500; Florida pays $60,140 and New York $73,200.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $50.15 | $104,310 | 2,110 |
| New Jersey | $41.65 | $86,630 | 540 |
| Hawaii | $39.08 | $81,280 | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $37.77 | $78,550 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $37.25 | $77,480 | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | $36.68 | $76,300 | 1,690 |
| Oregon | $35.98 | $74,840 | 1,210 |
| California | $35.86 | $74,590 | 5,190 |
| New York | $35.19 | $73,200 | 6,110 |
| Alaska | $34.55 | $71,860 | 310 |
| Maryland | $32.05 | $66,660 | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $31.89 | $66,340 | 1,860 |
| Utah | $31.45 | $65,420 | 960 |
| Delaware | $30.88 | $64,240 | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $30.87 | $64,210 | 420 |
| Wyoming | $30.79 | $64,040 | 230 |
| Colorado | $30.73 | $63,910 | 2,110 |
| Rhode Island | $30.55 | $63,550 | 160 |
| Maine | $30.31 | $63,050 | 470 |
| North Dakota | $29.96 | $62,320 | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $29.33 | $61,000 | 4,750 |
| Illinois | $29.16 | $60,660 | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $29.13 | $60,590 | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $29.08 | $60,480 | 1,960 |
| Idaho | $29.03 | $60,380 | 440 |
| Vermont | $29.02 | $60,360 | 190 |
| Indiana | $29.00 | $60,320 | 2,680 |
| Florida | $28.91 | $60,140 | 6,970 |
| Wisconsin | $28.71 | $59,710 | 1,990 |
| Nevada | $28.50 | $59,280 | 950 |
| Missouri | $28.45 | $59,180 | 3,300 |
| Arizona | $28.17 | $58,600 | 2,200 |
| Tennessee | $27.74 | $57,690 | 3,710 |
| Georgia | $27.72 | $57,660 | 3,250 |
| Texas | $27.65 | $57,500 | 8,410 |
| North Carolina | $27.56 | $57,320 | 5,660 |
| Nebraska | $27.04 | $56,230 | 490 |
| Louisiana | $26.95 | $56,050 | 2,040 |
| New Mexico | $26.70 | $55,530 | 810 |
| Mississippi | $26.27 | $54,630 | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $25.74 | $53,550 | 2,250 |
| Michigan | $25.04 | $52,080 | 2,750 |
| Ohio | $24.67 | $51,300 | 3,600 |
| Kansas | $24.53 | $51,020 | 1,030 |
| Montana | $24.47 | $50,890 | 300 |
| Arkansas | $24.19 | $50,310 | 1,170 |
| Kentucky | $23.99 | $49,890 | 1,800 |
| South Dakota | $23.48 | $48,830 | 280 |
| Alabama | $23.34 | $48,540 | 1,700 |
| West Virginia | $23.30 | $48,460 | 1,090 |
| Oklahoma | $22.50 | $46,790 | 1,590 |
Paramedic pay varies little by employer type: local government $61,980, private hospitals $61,370, ambulance services $60,040 and local government hospitals $59,260, with physicians' offices lower at $55,900. Local government and ambulance services each employ 38% of paramedics (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $61,980 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; private | $61,370 |
| Ambulance services | $60,040 |
| General medical and surgical hospitals; local | $59,260 |
| Offices of physicians | $55,900 |
Paramedics work the same round-the-clock schedules as EMTs: most full time, some over 40 hours a week, with nights, weekends, holidays and extended shifts of 12, 18 or 24 hours. Local government and ambulance services each employ 38% of paramedics and private hospitals 13%; some fly as part of air ambulance crews (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
A paramedic employed by a municipal, county, district or state fire department who is trained in fire suppression and has the legal authority to fight fires falls under the fire protection rule of FLSA section 7(k): overtime after 212 hours in a 28-day period instead of 40 a week (DOL Fact Sheet #8). Paramedics at private ambulance services and hospitals are owed overtime after 40 hours a week. Either way, on a shift of 24 hours or more an agreed sleep period of up to 8 hours can be left unpaid only if sleeping facilities are provided and the sleep is usually uninterrupted (29 CFR 785.22).
Paramedic pay per shift depends on how many hours of it are paid. Multiplying the BLS median and 75th percentile paramedic wages by the paid hours shows what a 12-, 18- or 24-hour shift is worth at straight time, including a 24-hour shift with an agreed 8-hour sleep period left unpaid. The hourly figures are BLS's 2,080-hour basis, so overtime under your schedule is extra.
| Shift | Paid hours | At the median | At the 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-hour shift | 12 | $350 | $424 |
| 18-hour shift | 18 | $524 | $636 |
| 24-hour shift, every hour paid | 24 | $699 | $848 |
| 24-hour shift, 8-hour sleep period excluded by agreement | 16 | $466 | $565 |
Paramedic programs require Advanced EMT certification, and paramedics typically need work experience as an EMT first. Programs at community colleges usually lead to a nondegree award or an associate's degree, some universities offer bachelor's degrees, and the coursework includes anatomy and physiology, EKG interpretation and airway management with supervised field experience. Every state requires a license, and paramedic-to-RN programs offer a faster route into nursing (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your paramedic pay:
$60,600 a year ($29.13 an hour) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $49,660 to $73,470.
Washington ($50.15 an hour, $104,310 a year), then New Jersey and Hawaii; Oklahoma pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
At the BLS median for May 2025, paramedics earned $16,130 a year more than EMTs ($60,600 against $44,470), for the extra training in medications, IV lines, airway management and EKGs (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
If they're trained in fire suppression and employed by a public fire department, after 212 hours in a 28-day work period (or the same ratio for shorter periods) under FLSA section 7(k), not after 40 a week (DOL Fact Sheet #8).
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.