How Much Does a Paramedic Make in the United States in 2026?

Ambulance services, fire departments, and hospitals staff paramedic shifts around the clock, and filling them is a constant problem. A Paramedic, listed in many job postings as an EMT-Paramedic, typically earns $29.13 an hour, or $60,600 a year, according to the latest government wage data (May 2025). That pay covers work through nights, weekends, and holidays.

Pay moves with several things at once: the state you work in, whether the employer is a private ambulance company or a hospital system, years on the job, and added credentials such as critical care paramedic certification. The gap between the highest and lowest earners is wide. About 100,610 Paramedics work in the United States, so those differences reach a sizable workforce.

A typical Paramedic earns $29.13 per hour, or $60,600 over a full year. Calculated from that annual figure, monthly pay comes to about $5,050 and weekly pay to roughly $1,165. Those numbers describe the middle of the field, before overtime, which many Paramedics work regularly.

Entry-level positions pay around $44,230 a year, while the top 10% of earners make over $84,850. That spread of $40,620 comes down to years of experience, the state where the job sits, and whether the employer is a private ambulance service or a better-funded fire or hospital system. The same license pays very differently depending on those three.

New Paramedics usually start near the bottom of the range, around $21.27 an hour, or $44,230 a year. After a year or two, many move up to about $23.88 an hour, or $49,660. Within a few years of steady work, pay reaches the typical figure of $29.13 an hour, or $60,600.

Experienced Paramedics often earn upwards of $35.32 an hour, or $73,470 a year, and the top 10% make over $40.80 an hour, or $84,850. Reaching that group usually takes seniority with a fire-based or hospital employer, regular overtime, and credentials beyond the base license. Geography counts too, since the same experience pays more in some states than in others.

Pay for Paramedics has climbed steadily. Typical pay was $46,770 a year in 2021. By 2025 it reached $60,600, a gain of $13,830, or 29.6%. The most recent year alone added $2,190, a rise of 3.7%.

The climb was uneven. Typical pay went from $46,770 in 2021 to $49,090 in 2022, then $53,180 in 2023 and $58,410 in 2024 before reaching $60,600. The largest jumps landed in the middle years, when demand for these workers rose sharply. Local pay does not always follow the national pattern, so the figures for your state matter more.

Where you work is often the single biggest factor in what a Paramedic earns. Washington pays the most at $104,310 a year, then New Jersey at $86,630, Hawaii at $81,280, the District of Columbia at $78,550, and Connecticut at $77,480. Every top-paying metro area sits in Washington too: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue at $123,310 a year, or $59.28 an hour, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater at $120,260, Bellingham at $119,970, Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard at $119,700, and Mount Vernon-Anacortes at $109,620.

Pay runs lowest in Oklahoma at $46,790 a year, with West Virginia at $48,460 and Alabama at $48,540, leaving a $57,520 gap between the top and bottom states. The largest workforces sit elsewhere: Texas employs 8,410 Paramedics at $57,500, Florida 6,970 at $60,140, and New York 6,110 at $73,200. Higher pay usually tracks higher living costs. The table below lists all 51 state-level figures.

Most Paramedics work for one of two kinds of employers. Other ambulatory health care services employ 39,550 of them at $28.85 an hour, or $60,000 a year. Ambulance services employ 39,130 at $28.87 an hour, or $60,040. Both sit about 1% below the national figure, close enough that the choice between them rarely turns on base pay.

General medical and surgical hospitals pay the most among common settings, $29.38 an hour and $61,110 a year across 17,800 jobs, roughly 1% above the national figure. Smaller settings pay less: offices of physicians at $26.87 an hour and $55,900 a year, outpatient care centers at $28.31 and $58,890, and other support services at $25.53 and $53,110. The table below shows each setting.

Schedules shape take-home pay as much as base rates do. Overtime and 24-hour shifts are common, and hours beyond the regular schedule usually pay a higher rate. Many employers add differentials for nights, weekends, and holidays. What those add-ons are worth varies by employer and contract.

The path starts with EMT certification, then a paramedic program that commonly runs 1,200 to 1,800 hours over 12 to 24 months. After that come the NREMT paramedic exams and state licensure. Licenses require recertification with continuing education, and keeping that current is a condition of staying employed.

Beyond the base license, critical care and flight certifications such as the CCP-C and FP-C open up transport and specialty work. Employer type matters as well, since fire-based EMS and hospital systems commonly pay more than private ambulance companies. Some employers also pay extra for field training or supervisory duties.

Moving up from this role follows a familiar sequence. EMT at $44,470 a year is the starting point, and stepping up to Paramedic at $60,600 adds $16,130 after a program that commonly runs 12 to 24 months past EMT. The next common step is Registered Nurse at $97,550, a gain of $36,950, which takes an ADN of about two years or a BSN of about four.

Many people make that move while still working, taking prerequisites part time and scheduling classes around shifts. Some employers offer tuition help, though the terms vary, so ask before enrolling. Field experience carries over: patient assessment, airway skills, and steadiness under pressure all count in nursing.

Paramedics typically earn $60,600 a year, or $29.13 an hour, up $13,830 from $46,770 in 2021. BLS expects modest growth through 2035 and steady openings each year. Check your state's salary page for local figures, since the spread between states is wide. Then look up the training and licensing rules where you plan to work before committing to a program.