How Much Does an EMT Make in Virginia in 2026?

A typical EMT in Virginia earns about $21.84 per hour, or $45,420 per year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). Calculated from that annual figure, pay comes out to roughly $3,785 a month and $873 a week. Those are the typical hourly and annual figures reported for the state. They reflect pay across all settings and experience levels combined.

That figure sits about 2% above the national typical pay of $44,470 for EMTs, according to the same data. Virginia ranks 21st out of 51 states and D.C. for typical EMT pay. Roughly 4,490 EMTs work across the state, giving a sense of the size of the workforce behind these figures. The national EMT workforce totals 180,510.

Entry-level EMT positions in Virginia typically offer around $17.57 an hour, or about $36,540 a year, according to the same wage data. That is the starting point for EMTs newest to the field. Pay tends to move up toward the state's typical figure of $45,420 within a few years on the job. Experience, certification level, and the setting an EMT works in all play a part in how quickly that happens.

Experienced EMTs in Virginia often earn upwards of $24.23 an hour, with the top 10% of earners making over $59,180 a year. That top figure compares with $36,540 at the entry level, a spread of $22,640 across the field. City, employer type, and years on the job tend to separate the two ends of that range.

Virginia's typical EMT pay rose from $36,150 in 2021 to $45,420 in 2025, a gain of $9,270 over that span, according to government wage data. That five-year climb reflects steady increases each year in between. The pace was not perfectly even, but the direction was consistently upward.

Nationally, EMT pay grew 25% over the same five-year stretch, according to the same data source. Virginia's dollar gain of $9,270 reflects a similar upward trend, even without an exact percentage figure to match. For someone starting an EMT career in Virginia now, recent years show pay has moved up steadily. That trend is not a promise of future increases, but it reflects the recent direction of pay in the state.

Arlington pays Virginia's EMTs the most, with typical pay reaching $49,250 a year, or $23.68 an hour, about 8% above the state figure of $45,420. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford follow closely, each with typical pay of $48,320 a year. Richmond rounds out the higher-paying cities at $47,290 a year. These figures cover each city's full metro area, not just the city itself.

Bristol pays the least among Virginia's tracked cities, with typical EMT pay at $36,680 a year, a spread of $12,570 between the highest- and lowest-paying cities. Arlington also has the largest EMT workforce among Virginia's cities, with 1,730 workers. Cities with higher pay tend to have a higher cost of living, so the gap does not necessarily mean better take-home value.

Virginia's typical EMT pay runs close to its neighbors, trailing Maryland's $48,100 a year (about 6% higher) while sitting ahead of West Virginia's $34,360 a year (about 24% lower). North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky all pay somewhat less than Virginia as well. EMT licensure earned in one state can often be transferred or endorsed into a nearby state, so these differences matter most for EMTs deciding where to work rather than where to get certified.

Virginia's typical EMT pay stands at $45,420 a year, or $21.84 an hour, up from $36,150 in 2021 according to the latest government wage data. That five-year rise reflects steady growth in EMT pay across the state. For specific requirements, check Virginia's EMS licensing and registry pages, and for pay in a particular area, see the city-level figures for places like Arlington, Richmond, or Roanoke.