How Much Does a Paramedic Make in San Francisco, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Paramedics in San Francisco, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area
A typical Paramedic in San Francisco, California earns $39.95 per hour, or $83,090 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $6,924 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $63,450, and the top 10% of earners make over $127,990.
That pay is 11% above the California figure of $74,590 and 37% above the national figure of $60,600. San Francisco ranks 3rd of 16 metro areas in California for Paramedic pay. About 780 Paramedics work in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area. San Francisco is part of the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Fremont and Oakland share these figures.
Paramedic pay in San Francisco at a glance
- Typical pay is $39.95 an hour, or $83,090 a year.
- That is 11% above the California figure, ranking 3rd of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $63,450; the top 10% make over $127,990.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Paramedic make in San Francisco?
Pay in San Francisco runs from entry-level positions at around $30.51 an hour to more than $61.54 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Paramedic pay by career stage in San Francisco
| Career stage | San Francisco | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $63,450$30.51 an hour | $53,370$25.66 an hour | $44,230$21.27 an hour |
| First years | $79,180$38.07 an hour | $63,490$30.52 an hour | $49,660$23.88 an hour |
| Typical Paramedic | $83,090$39.95 an hour | $74,590$35.86 an hour | $60,600$29.13 an hour |
| Experienced | $104,520$50.25 an hour | $90,730$43.62 an hour | $73,470$35.32 an hour |
| Top 10% | $127,990$61.54 an hour | $102,450$49.26 an hour | $84,850$40.80 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area as BLS defines it
Paramedic pay growth in San Francisco
Typical (median) annual wage for Paramedics in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area · BLS OES May estimates, 2021 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2021, typical Paramedic pay in San Francisco was $58,070 a year. By 2025 it had reached $83,090.
How San Francisco compares with other California cities
Redding pays Paramedics the most in California at $88,740 a year, $5,650 more than San Francisco. The lowest-paying area in the state is Visalia at $63,840.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Francisco | Paramedics employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redding | $88,740 | $42.66 | +7% | 40 |
| 2 | Sunnyvale metro incl. Santa Clara · San Jose | $84,480 | $40.61 | +2% | 110 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $83,090 | $39.95 | this city | 780 |
| 4 | Sacramento | $81,430 | $39.15 | -2% | 390 |
| 5 | Salinas | $80,710 | $38.81 | -3% | 50 |
| 6 | Oxnard metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Ventura | $80,590 | $38.74 | -3% | 60 |
| 7 | Long Beach metro incl. Los Angeles · Anaheim | $74,900 | $36.01 | -10% | 1,200 |
| 8 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $74,080 | $35.62 | -11% | 70 |
| 9 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $73,930 | $35.54 | -11% | 40 |
| 10 | Riverside metro incl. San Bernardino · Ontario | $72,520 | $34.87 | -13% | 580 |
| 11 | Modesto | $72,170 | $34.70 | -13% | 130 |
| 12 | Santa Cruz metro incl. Watsonville | $71,390 | $34.32 | -14% | 40 |
| 13 | Chula Vista | $70,630 | $33.96 | -15% | 430 |
| 14 | Bakersfield metro incl. Delano | $69,050 | $33.20 | -17% | 120 |
| 15 | Merced | $64,100 | $30.82 | -23% | 30 |
| 16 | Visalia | $63,840 | $30.69 | -23% | 50 |
Every metro area in California with Paramedic wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $74,590
Is San Francisco a good place to work as a Paramedic?
Paramedics in San Francisco earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $83,090 a year, 37% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Francisco · Oakland · Fremont area, about 0.3 are Paramedic positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.6. That makes Paramedics 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 a Paramedic make in San Francisco, CA?
- A typical Paramedic in San Francisco earns $83,090 a year, or $39.95 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $63,450 and the top 10% earn over $127,990.
- How much does a Paramedic make an hour in San Francisco?
- Typical hourly pay for Paramedics in San Francisco is $39.95. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $30.51, and the top 10% earn over $61.54 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Paramedic in San Francisco?
- Entry-level Paramedic positions in San Francisco typically offer around $30.51 an hour, or $63,450 a year.
- Is Paramedic pay in San Francisco higher than in the rest of California?
- San Francisco pay is 11% above the California figure of $74,590 a year, ranking 3rd of 16 metro areas in the state. Redding pays the most in California at $88,740.