How Much Does an EMT Make in Buffalo, NY in 2026?
Typical pay for EMTs in Buffalo, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across New York.
BLS OES May 2025 · Buffalo · Cheektowaga metro area
A typical EMT in Buffalo, New York earns $19.99 per hour, or $41,580 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,465 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,070, and the top 10% of earners make over $51,320.
That pay is 14% below the New York figure of $48,400 and 6% below the national figure of $44,470. Buffalo ranks 11th of 12 metro areas in New York for EMT pay. About 520 EMTs work in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area. Buffalo is part of the Buffalo · Cheektowaga metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Cheektowaga share these figures.
EMT pay in Buffalo at a glance
- Typical pay is $19.99 an hour, or $41,580 a year.
- That is 14% below the New York figure, ranking 11th of 12 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $39,070; the top 10% make over $51,320.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does an EMT make in Buffalo?
Pay in Buffalo runs from entry-level positions at around $18.78 an hour to more than $24.67 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the New York and national figures.
EMT pay by career stage in Buffalo
| Career stage | Buffalo | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $39,070$18.78 an hour | $39,890$19.18 an hour | $34,130$16.41 an hour |
| First years | $39,510$19.00 an hour | $43,270$20.80 an hour | $37,960$18.25 an hour |
| Typical EMT | $41,580$19.99 an hour | $48,400$23.27 an hour | $44,470$21.38 an hour |
| Experienced | $45,000$21.64 an hour | $63,870$30.71 an hour | $50,100$24.09 an hour |
| Top 10% | $51,320$24.67 an hour | $69,210$33.28 an hour | $62,500$30.05 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area as BLS defines it
EMT pay growth in Buffalo
Typical (median) annual wage for EMTs in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area · BLS OES May estimates, 2021 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2021, typical EMT pay in Buffalo was $30,000 a year. By 2025 it had reached $41,580.
How Buffalo compares with other New York cities
New York pays EMTs the most in New York at $53,820 a year, $12,240 more than Buffalo. The lowest-paying area in the state is Fort Drum at $41,190.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Buffalo | EMTs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $53,820 | $25.88 | +29% | 13,780 |
| 2 | Poughkeepsie metro incl. Kiryas Joel · Newburgh | $48,400 | $23.27 | +16% | 500 |
| 3 | Kingston | $45,280 | $21.77 | +9% | 150 |
| 4 | Albany metro incl. Schenectady · Troy | $44,120 | $21.21 | +6% | 780 |
| 5 | Syracuse | $44,090 | $21.20 | +6% | 490 |
| 6 | Rochester | $43,330 | $20.83 | +4% | 650 |
| 7 | Rome metro incl. Utica | $43,060 | $20.70 | +4% | 230 |
| 8 | Glens Falls | $42,790 | $20.57 | +3% | 190 |
| 9 | Binghamton | $42,720 | $20.54 | +3% | 160 |
| 10 | Ithaca | $41,710 | $20.06 | 0% | 50 |
| 11 | Buffalo metro incl. Cheektowaga | $41,580 | $19.99 | this city | 520 |
| 12 | Watertown metro incl. Fort Drum | $41,190 | $19.80 | -1% | 110 |
Every metro area in New York with EMT wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · New York typical pay $48,400
Is Buffalo a good place to work as an EMT?
EMTs in Buffalo earn less than the national figure: typical pay is $41,580 a year, 6% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Buffalo · Cheektowaga area, about 1.0 are EMT positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 1.2. That makes EMTs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does an EMT make in Buffalo, NY?
- A typical EMT in Buffalo earns $41,580 a year, or $19.99 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $39,070 and the top 10% earn over $51,320.
- How much does an EMT make an hour in Buffalo?
- Typical hourly pay for EMTs in Buffalo is $19.99. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $18.78, and the top 10% earn over $24.67 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for an EMT in Buffalo?
- Entry-level EMT positions in Buffalo typically offer around $18.78 an hour, or $39,070 a year.
- Is EMT pay in Buffalo higher than in the rest of New York?
- Buffalo pay is 14% below the New York figure of $48,400 a year, ranking 11th of 12 metro areas in the state. New York pays the most in New York at $53,820.