Paramedics
Also called: Critical Care Flight Paramedic, Critical Care Paramedic, ED Paramedic (Emergency Department Paramedic), EMT Paramedic (Emergency Medical Technician Paramedic), ER Paramedic (Emergency Room Paramedic), Firefighter Paramedic, First Responder, Flight Paramedic
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses.
What paramedics do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Perform emergency pharmacological interventions.
- Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.
- Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
- Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
- Instruct emergency medical response team about emergency interventions to ensure correct application of procedures.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Paramedics salary
The median annual wage for paramedics is $60,600 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $44,230 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $84,850. The mean annual wage is $63,360.
The mean hourly wage of $30.00 is 4.1× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Paramedics (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $60,600 → in 3 years $66,900 → in 5 years $71,500 → in 10 years $84,400 (10-year range $72,500–$97,900). The model assumes pay growth of +3.4% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Paramedics
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Paramedics? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Paramedics
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Paramedics United States | 救急救命士 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $60,600 | ¥3.35M ≈ $21,320 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $84,400 | ¥4.73M |
| Outlook score | 58 | 74 |
| AI replacement risk | 13% Very low | 9% Very low |
| Workers | 101K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Paramedics
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become paramedics
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as paramedics
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.