Paramedics working in the United States generally report earning salaries in the range from $26,655 to $58,158 a year including bonus earnings and contributions from profit sharing based on the salary information provided by Payscale. The yearly bonuses for these professionals can amount to up to $990 and the reported earnings from profit sharing are typically in the range from $290 to $25,600 a year.
Paramedics specializing in emergency medical services (EMS) generally earn between $28,375 and $69,243 a year and those specializing in critical care typically make between $30,410 and $72,785 a year according to Payscale’s data.
The most popular areas of specialty among paramedics are emergency medical services, critical care, emergency response, emergency room (ER), emergency and trauma, transport, and acute care.
Based on the salary data reported by Salary.com, 10% of paramedics earn $49,515 a year or more and 10% make $30,782 a year or less. The middle 50% of paramedics working in the U.S. earn an annual pay in the range from $34,768 to $44,574. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports an excellent job outlook for this occupation, with an employment growth of 33%, which is much faster than average, and 75,400 new jobs created in the period from 2010 to 2020.
Average salary
The average salary for paramedics employed in the United States is $39,146 a year not including bonuses according to the data provided by Salary.com, $39,671 a year including bonus earnings according to Payscale, and $57,700 a year including benefits according to HealthcareWorkerSalary.com.
The median salary including bonuses, as reported by Salary.com, is $39,200 a year. 10% of the best paid paramedics earn $49,618 a year or more and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale are paid $30,882 a year or less. The middle 50% of paramedics make between $34,846 and $44,653 a year.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean annual salary of $34,370 and a median annual wage of $31,020 for this occupation.
The 10% of the best paid paramedics earn $53,550 a year or more and the 10% on the lower end of the pay scale are paid $20,180 a year or less. The middle 50% of paramedics employed in the U.S. typically report earning an annual pay in the range from $24,560 to $40,680 according to the BLS salary data.
The average annual salary for paramedics can vary considerably from industry to industry. Paramedics working at offices of physicians earn $34,350 a year on average, those employed at general medical and surgical hospitals are paid around $34,800 annually, and professionals working for the local government earn a median annual salary of $39,300 according to the BLS.
Paramedics working in other ambulatory health care services are paid around $31,140 a year, those working in other support services are paid $31,900 a year on average, and professionals employed in other transit and ground passenger transportation earn an average yearly income of $29,290.
Image: U.S. Navy
Other industries with a high average yearly salary are accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services, where paramedics earn an average annual salary of $47,450, and other amusement and recreation services, where the average salary for this profession is $46,980 a year.
Starting salary
The average starting salary for paramedics in their first year on the job is generally in the range from $24,240 to $51,953 a year according to the salary data provided by Payscale.
Paramedics with less than a year of professional experience typically make between $12.02 and $24.47 per hour.
Salary by state
Paramedics’ salaries depend on geographical location and can vary significantly from state to state. Paramedics working in Texas typically make between $24,613 and $59,088 a year, those employed in California are generally paid between $25,342 and $85,570 annually, and professionals based in Florida earn salaries in the range from $29,361 to $53,933 a year based on the salary figures provided by Payscale.
Paramedics working in North Carolina are generally paid between $30,346 and $50,491 a year and those employed in Tennesee usually report earning an annual wage in the range from $29,263 to $53,398. Professionals based in Arizona typically make between $20,134 and $56,569 a year and those employed in Illinois earn a yearly income in the range from $29,799 to $85,148 according to Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that the top paying states for paramedics are District of Columbia, where these professionals earn $52,930 a year on average, followed by Alaska, where the median annual pay for this occupation is $51,570, and Washington, where paramedics make $50,980 a year on average. Other states with a high average yearly salary for this profession are Illinois, where paramedics are paid around $48,350 annually, and Maryland, where they earn $42,410 a year on average.
Paramedics in California earn an average annual wage of $34,210, those based in New York make $39,210 a year on average, and professionals employed in Texas are paid around $31,980 annually. Paramedics working in Pennsylvania earn around $32,210 a year, those based in Delaware are paid $37,960 a year on average, and professionals employed in Maine earn an average annual pay of $31,220 according to the BLS. Paramedics in Tennessee make $31,780 a year on average, those employed in South Carolina are pad around $32,750 annually, and professionals working in Kentucky earn a median yearly income of $29,790 based on the BLS salary data.
Salary by city
Paramedics’ annual pay can also vary from city to city. For example, professionals based in New York are generally paid between $43,688 and $77,419 a year and those employed in Chicago typically earn salaries in the range from $34,500 to $82,500 a year according to Payscale.
Salary range
Based on the data reported by HealthcareWorkerSalary.com, 10% of paramedics employed in the U.S. earn $30,700 a year or less, and the best paid 10% make $49,000 a year or more. The middle 50% of paramedics earn an annual salary in the range from $34,000 to $45,000.
Paramedics’ salaries can vary depending on a wide range of factors, including work experience. Based on Payscale’s data, paramedics with 1 to 4 years of experience generally earn salaries in the range from $24,335 to $50,388 a year and those with 5 to 9 years of experience typically make between $29,906 and $55,063 annually. Professionals with 10 to 19 years of work experience under their belt are generally paid between $37,320 and $75,382 a year and those with 20 or more years of experience typically report earning an annual pay in the range from $39,476 to $82,341 according to Payscale.
Paramedics’ annual pay can vary considerably depending on their professional certification. Based on Payscale’s salary data, paramedics with a certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) generally earn salaries in the range from $30,309 to $68,052 a year, those with a certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are paid between $29,406 and $67,197 annually, and professionals with a certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) typically make between $30,782 and $67,125 a year.
Paramedics with the qualification of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Paramedic generally earn between $30,747 and $67,246 a year, those with the qualification of Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor are paid between $28,110 and $74,784 a year, and professionals with the qualification of Advanced Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic (AEMT-P) typically earn a yearly income in the range from $29,799 to $76,555 according to Payscale.
Paramedics with a certification in critical care generally earn between $24,083 and $72,758 a year and those with the Board Certified Primary Care qualification are usually paid between $35,500 and $57,000 a year. Professionals with the certification of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Instructor typically earn salaries in the range from $35,479 to $157,812 a year based on the salary statistics reported by Payscale.
In terms of industry, paramedics working in emergency medical services are generally paid between $30,553 and $65,666 annually and those working in the health care sector make between $24,468 and $60,402 a year. Professionals employed by fire departments earn salaries in the range from $40,000 to $87,000 a year and those working at hospitals make between $24,468 and $63,728 a year based on Payscale’s data.
In terms of hospital setting, paramedics employed at general hospitals typically earn salaries in the range from $30,100 to $56,109 a year, those working in ambulatory care and surgery centers usually make between $25,168 and $61,277 a year, and professionals working in other settings are generally paid between $32,340 and $72,954 a year according to Payscale.
Women typically earn salaries in the range from $22,669 to $82,414 a year and men are generally paid between $31,426 and $71,768 a year.
Academic degree is another factor that can affect a paramedic’s annual pay. Professionals with an associate’s degree generally make between $25,111 and $64,111 a year and those with a bachelor’s degree are usually paid between $30,422 and $77,500 annually. Paramedics with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Paramedic Technology generally earn an annual pay in the range from $34,817 to $46,000 and those with an AAS in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) typically make between $33,000 and $46,452 a year based on Payscale’s salary data.
Hourly pay
Paramedics generally earn between $11.74 and $22.10 per hour, with overtime rates typically ranging from $16.22 to $34.16 per hour according to the salary data reported by Payscale.
The hourly pay for paramedics can vary significantly depending on work experience. Based on Payscale’s salary figures, paramedics with 1 to 4 years of experience generally make betwen $11.30 and $19.51 per hour and those with 5 to 9 years of experience are usually paid between $11.56 and $22.29 per hour.
Professionals with 10 to 19 years of work experience earn an hourly wage in the range from $12.13 to $23.19 and those with 20 or more years of experience are generally offered an hourly rate in the range from $12.45 to $27.84.
The hourly wage depends on location among other factors. Paramedics working in Texas generally make between $12.49 and $19.92 per hour, those based in California are paid between $12.05 and $29.66 per hour, and professionals employed in Ohio earn an hourly salary in the range from $10.83 to $18.25 according to Payscale’s data. Paramedics employed in Indiana typically make between $12.02 and $21.03 per hour and those based in Florida earn between $10.92 and $20.01 per hour. Professionals working in North Carolina are generally paid between $10.84 and $19.73 per hour and those employed in Illinois earn an hourly pay in the range from $10.25 to $17.92.
Hourly rates for paramedics also vary from city to city. Professionals based in Atlanta are generally paid between $12.64 and $20.53 per hour, those working in Dallas typically make between $11.15 and $23.67 per hour, and paramedics employed in Houston earn an hourly wage in the range from $13.64 to $21.29 based on the figures reported by Payscale. Paramedics working in Cleveland typically earn between $11.37 and $20.36 per hour and those based in Denver make between $14.74 and $20.83 per hour. Professionals based in Boston are typically paid between $15.72 and $22 per hour and those employed in St. Louis are generally offered an hourly rate in the range from $15.72 to $19.09 according to Payscale.
The hourly salary also depends on professional certification. Paramedics with a certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) earn between $11.74 and $22.24 per hour, those with a certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) are paid between $11.87 and $22.58 per hour, and professionals with a certification in Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) earn an hourly pay in the range from $11.79 to $22.32 based on Payscale’s data.
Paramedics with a certification in critical care are generally paid between $11.79 and $21.98 per hour and those with the qualification of Basic Life Support (BLS) Instructor typically make between $12.51 and $24.41 per hour. Professionals with the qualification of Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) – Paramedic usually make between $12.02 and $22.77 per hour, and those with the certification of Advanced Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic (AEMT-P) are typically offered an hourly salary in the range from $11.90 to $24.91 according to Payscale.
Men typically earn between $11.57 and $23.70 per hour and women are generally paid between $12.29 and $21.19 per hour.
In terms of industry, paramedics working in emergency medical services typically make between $11.47 and $21.69 per hour, those working in the health care industry earn between $11.77 and $22.52 per hour, and professionals employed at hospitals typically earn an hourly pay in the range from $13.69 to $24.48.
Paramedics working in the transportation sector are usually paid between $12.40 and $30.79 per hour and those working in public safety make between $14 and $23.94 per hour. Professionals employed by fire departments earn an hourly wage in the range from $15.26 to $21 per hour and those working at acute care hospitals are generally paid between $13.50 and $18.51 per hour based on the salary statistics reported by Payscale.
Area of specialty is another factor that can determine a paramedic’s hourly rate. Professionals specializing in critical care typically make between $12.30 and $24.24 per hour, those specializing in emergency room (ER) are paid between $14.27 and $17.10 per hour, and paramedics specializing in emergency medical services generally earn an hourly salary in the range from $11.90 to $24.21.
The hourly rate also typically varies depending on the type of employer. Paramedics employed by hospitals earn between $12.79 and $25.81 per hour, those working for the state or local government are generally offered an hourly rate in the range from $10.89 to $20.75, and professionals employed by companies typically make between $11.60 and $20.68 per hour. Paramedics working for private practices and firms earn between $11.16 and $23.96 per hour, those employed by non-profit organizations are generally paid between $11.51 and $21.04 per hour, and professionals working for other organizations typically report being offered an hourly pay in the range from $10.07 to $20.86 according to Payscale.
In terms of hospital setting, paramedics working in community and home health generally make between $13.25 and $18.38 per hour and those employed in ambulatory care and surgery centers are usually paid between $12.02 and $24.23 per hour. Professionals working at general hospitals earn an hourly wage in the range from $12.38 to $21.72 and those working in other hospital settings typically make between $11.53 and $21.98 per hour based on the salary data provided by Payscale.
The hourly wage for paramedics can also vary depending on the size of the organization that employs them. Professionals working for organizations that employ between 1 and 9 people generally earn between $11.28 and $21.74 per hour, those working for organizations with 10 to 49 employees are paid between $10.59 and $20.79 per hour, and paramedics working for organizations with 50 to 199 employees earn an hourly salary in the range from $10.57 to $20.51.
Paramedics employed by companies with 200 to 599 employees report earning an hourly pay in the range from $12.46 to $23.81 and those employed by organizations that employ 600 to 1,999 people are generally paid between $11.60 and $23.18 per hour. Paramedics working for companies with 2,000 to 4,999 employees typically make between $13.36 and $26.72 per hour and those working for organizations that employ between 5,000 and 19,999 people generally report being offered an hourly rate in the range from $12,84 to $31.21 according to the salary figures provided by Payscale.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports a mean hourly salary of $16.53 and a median hourly wage of $14.91 for this profession. 10% of paramedics make $25.74 per hour or more, and 10% are paid $9.70 per hour or less. The middle 50% of these professionals earn an hourly salary in the range from $11.81 to $19.56 according to the BLS.
The average hourly wage for paramedics varies considerably from industry to industry. Paramedics working at general medical and surgical hospitals make $16.77 per hour on average, those employed in other ambulatory health care services are paid around $14.97 per hour, and professionals working in other support services earn a median hourly pay of $15.34 based on the BLS salary data.
Paramedics employed by the local government earn $18.89 per hour on average, those working for the state government are typically paid around $23.13 per hour, and professionals working in other transit and ground passenger transportation earn an average hourly pay of $16.77. Paramedics working at offices of physicians make $16.52 per hour on average and those employed in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services are paid around $22.82 per hour on average.
Professionals working in other heavy and civil engineering construction are paid $26.05 per hour on average, those employed in waste treatment and disposal earn around $24.13 per hour, and professionals working in other amusement and recreation industries are offered an average hourly rate of $22.59 according to the salary data reported by the BLS.
The average hourly pay can also vary from state to state. Paramedics based in New York are paid $18.85 per hour on average, those employed in California make $16.45 per hour on average, and professionals working in Texas earn a median hourly wage of $15.38. Paramedics employed in Illinois earn around $23.25 per hour, those working in Pennsylvania are offered an average hourly salary of $15.48, and professionals based in Maine make $15.01 per hour on average according to the BLS.
Paramedics working in Tennessee are paid around $15.28 per hour, those based in Delaware are paid around $18.25 per hour, and professionals working in South Carolina earn an average hourly wage of $15.75. Paramedics in Kentucky are paid $14.32 per hour on average, those in Maryland make $20.39 per hour on average, and professionals based in Alaska earn an average hourly pay of $24.79.
Paramedics based in the District of Columbia earn around $25.45 per hour and those working in Washington earn an average hourly wage of $24.51 based on the salary figures reported by the BLS.
Based on the salary figures provided by HealthcareWorkerSalary.com, 10% of the best paid paramedics earn $24 per hour or more and the 10% on the lower end of the scale are paid an hourly wage of $15 or less. The middle 50% of paramedics typically report being offered an hourly rate in the range from $17 to $21.
Benefits
Along with their basic yearly income and bonus earnings, paramedics usually get a wide range of benefits and perks, and these can sometimes reflect their annual pay.
Paramedics who have 401(k) plans included in their benefits package typically make between $29,896 and $74,421 a year, those who have paid sick leave earn between $29,818 and $69,253 annually, and professionals who have life and disability insurance are generally paid between $30,411 and $69,791 a year according to Payscale.
Paramedics who have paid vacations and holidays as part of their benefits package report earning salaries in the range from $29,371 to $69,208 a year and those who get reimbursement for education, training, tuition, or certification are usually paid between $32,695 and $70,601 annually. Professionals who have company pension plans earn between $35,234 and $79,660 a year and those who get gym, health club, or fitness memberships report earning a yearly income in the range from $28,375 to $71,490 based on Payscale’s data.
The most popular benefits among paramedics, as reported by Payscale, are 401(k), paid sick leave, paid vacation, life and disability insurance, reimbursement for education, training, tuition, and certification, 403(b), and malpractice and liability insurance.
Based on the salary statistics reported by Salary.com, the average value of benefits packages offered to paramedics exceeds $18,500 a year. The benefits typically include social security, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, disability insurance, healthcare, pension, and time off.
Other income factors
Paramedics’ annual salaries can also vary depending on the size of the company or organization that employs them. Based on Payscale’s salary figures, paramedics working for organizations that employ between 1 and 9 people typically earn salaries in the range from $30,639 to $50,994 a year, those working for organizations with 10 to 49 employees are usually paid between $29,087 and $65,592 annually, and professionals working for organizations that employ 50 to 199 people generally report earning an annual pay in the range from $30,430 to $76,835.
Paramedics working for companies or organization with 200 to 599 employees typically make between $36,756 and $69,943 a year and professionals working for organizations that employ between 600 and 1,999 people generally report earning an annual income in the range from $47,166 to $80,473 according to Payscale’s salary data.
Paramedics’ annual income also depends on the type of employer. Professionals working for the state or local government generally earn between $30,968 and $70,593 a year, those employed by the federal government are paid between $31,474 and $74,680 annually, and professionals working at hospitals typically earn salaries in the range from $23,672 to $63,253 a year.
Paramedics employed by companies generally make between $31,354 and $69,829 a year and those working for private practices and firms report earning an income in the range from $31,064 to $75,503 a year. Professionals employed by non-profit organizations are paid between $29,087 and $59,495 a year and those working for other organizations generally earn between $35,100 and $55,000 a year according to Payscale.