EMT (public EMS): Pay & Requirements

Overview

Sourced

Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

O*NET definition of Emergency Medical Technicians (SOC 29-2042) · Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed.

50,580

in government (SOC 29-2042)

28%

of this occupation works for government

$45,800

median pay in government

Local

levels of government

Titles employers use

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)First Responder

How people usually get in Editorial

NREMT certification + state license. Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 29-2042)

Education needed to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: None

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

How to get hired

Sourced

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics typically complete a postsecondary educational program. All states require EMTs and paramedics to be licensed in the state in which they work; requirements vary by state.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “EMTs and Paramedics”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 29-2042: None

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Medium Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Seniority steps: single title × seniority steps; growth via steps, overtime, bidding (bus operator, sanitation, dispatcher). Typical structure for a public ems agency; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

EMT
Advanced EMT
Paramedic
Field Training Officer
EMS Supervisor / Captain
Operations Manager / Battalion Chief (EMS)
EMS Chief / Director

Source: GovJobsWiki job taxonomy v1 (research round R240) (editorial).

Pay

Sourced

Federal

Not published

State

$49,930

Local

$45,530

All government

$45,800

Private sector

$44,150

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
State	2,220	$38,890	$43,380	$49,930	$60,940	$66,630
Local	48,360	$32,580	$37,550	$45,530	$53,310	$69,690
All government	50,580	$32,920	$37,740	$45,800	$53,850	$68,450
Private sector	129,930	$34,710	$38,070	$44,150	$49,250	$59,870

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived

Exams by name

Sourced

Exam	Administered by	Used in	Type	Official page
National Registry EMT Certification Examination Computer adaptive exam at Pearson VUE test centers or remotely proctored via OnVUE; 70-120 items (10 pilot/unscored); 2 hours; includes technology-enhanced items (updated exam launched April 7, 2025).	National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT)	US	certification	Official page

Each exam is checked against its administrator's official page. Employers choose which exam they use; confirm with the hiring agency.

Source: Exam administrators and hiring authorities (per record), Official exam administrator pages. Data captured September 30, 2026.

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Emergency Medical Technicians (SOC 29-2042) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
Hawaii	560	$51,140	$66,410	$84,620
Alaska	310	$44,400	$57,440	$81,150
New Jersey	6,120	$45,550	$53,610	$64,740
Washington	2,940	$37,290	$52,690	$60,960
Rhode Island	430	$39,360	$51,290	$61,160
Connecticut	2,190	$40,160	$50,640	$59,610
Massachusetts	4,550	$40,140	$50,230	$69,830
Oregon	1,970	$37,600	$49,270	$63,430
New York	14,840	$39,890	$48,400	$69,210
Maryland	3,400	$39,960	$48,100	$85,290
Minnesota	3,160	$31,340	$48,090	$59,220
Wyoming	400	$30,480	$47,070	$53,930
Delaware	950	$39,060	$46,790	$57,660
New Hampshire	1,010	$37,320	$46,790	$59,670
District of Columbia	370	$39,310	$46,650	$73,670
California	21,880	$38,740	$46,380	$78,150
Maine	1,110	$38,210	$46,340	$58,100
Colorado	3,060	$38,370	$45,750	$58,320
Vermont	790	$36,770	$45,600	$57,700
Georgia	6,260	$33,910	$45,550	$52,600
Virginia	4,490	$36,540	$45,420	$59,180
North Carolina	6,680	$35,190	$44,250	$59,750
Pennsylvania	10,160	$34,480	$43,310	$54,370
Wisconsin	3,930	$33,550	$43,060	$60,910
Indiana	4,160	$36,170	$42,740	$50,640
Illinois	7,840	$36,420	$42,260	$135,490
Missouri	2,800	$34,390	$42,160	$58,090
Nebraska	540	$35,060	$41,710	$68,670
Iowa	1,510	$35,600	$40,660	$60,080
South Carolina	4,010	$31,590	$40,370	$49,210
Tennessee	3,860	$29,720	$40,330	$59,370
Ohio	5,560	$34,940	$40,220	$53,960
Florida	6,060	$34,120	$39,870	$59,000
Michigan	4,230	$35,360	$39,870	$49,620
North Dakota	760	$31,890	$39,670	$54,100
Arizona	3,970	$33,860	$39,500	$50,790
Utah	1,280	$31,410	$38,930	$48,240
Idaho	780	$27,180	$38,840	$51,140
Alabama	2,020	$28,620	$37,810	$51,160
Nevada	1,530	$29,060	$37,560	$59,000
New Mexico	1,260	$32,370	$37,550	$55,500
Texas	12,770	$30,320	$37,260	$52,160
Kentucky	2,770	$29,800	$36,800	$49,950
South Dakota	600	$31,130	$36,800	$48,460
Mississippi	1,390	$26,760	$36,630	$48,290
Arkansas	1,120	$28,370	$36,230	$49,910
Montana	860	$27,280	$36,140	$46,310
Louisiana	2,450	$27,390	$35,870	$46,460
Kansas	1,510	$28,560	$35,780	$53,710
West Virginia	900	$29,120	$34,360	$45,350
Oklahoma	2,410	$27,840	$34,170	$45,630

51 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

05 Probation
Probation length and what ends it
Not yet collected
08 Schedule
Shift patterns (24/48, 4/10, 5/8, split), seniority bidding, holidays, mandatory OT
Not yet collected
09 Benefits and pension
Pension plan/tier and formula, retirement age/years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b), PSLF eligibility
Not yet collected
10 Union contracts
Bargaining unit, union, current CBA (source link, effective dates)
Not yet collected
11 Transfers and lateral entry
Lateral policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonus, inter-agency moves
Not yet collected
12 Day-to-day work
Sourced description; later: insider contributions (the wiki layer)
Not yet collected
15 Employer directory
L4 directory: every employer that hires this job, each with its own facet values
Not yet collected

EMT (public EMS)

Overview

Titles employers use

Requirements

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

Related jobs

Exams by name

By state

Not yet collected