Read our complete guide on how much paramedics make.
Everyone wants to know what they will get paid when they are hired into a specific position. Most job salaries vary from state to state based on various minimum wages in each state.
People who are studying to become a paramedic or people who are interested in becoming a paramedic may wonder how much do paramedics make.
Every state sets a different minimum wage for all the jobs someone could get. Anyone who holds a full-time position will make somewhere around that amount of money or more. Each job also has a minimum wage that entry-level workers will make in that position. Here is what we know about paramedic salaries.
Paramedic vs. EMT
The first thing you need to know is that paramedics and EMTs are not the same. To become an EMT all you have to do is complete 120 to 150 hours of training and pass a national EMT exam.
For paramedics, the hours of training are between 1,200 and 1,800 while also getting more advanced medical training from hospital personnel.
Paramedics are able to perform more complex medical treatments to stabilize and sustain the life of a patient, administer medications both orally and intravenously, and use more advanced medical machinery from the EMS.
Because of the additional training and responsibilities, paramedics often have a higher average salary than EMTs.
You can read our complete guide on paramedics vs. EMTs for more information on this subject.
Average Paramedic Salary
Now that you know the difference between paramedics and EMTs, we can help you understand the question, how much do paramedics make?
How Much do Paramedics Make a Year?
As we stated above, all jobs usually have a varied annual salary based on your state of residence. Paramedics are no different. The annual paramedic salary ranges from $25,000 to $63,500 with the average paramedic salary falling at $43,509 per year.
To see where your state stacks up, we have compiled a list of the annual paramedic salaries from all fifty states.
|
State of Residence |
Average Annual Paramedic Salary |
|
Hawai’i |
$56,610 |
|
Washington |
$56,140 |
|
Maryland |
$50,750 |
|
Alaska |
$50,640 |
|
Connecticut |
$46,510 |
|
New York |
$44,920 |
|
Massachusetts |
$44,140 |
|
California |
$43,680 |
|
Minnesota |
$43,620 |
|
Illinois |
$43,310 |
|
Delaware |
$43,200 |
|
Oregon |
$42,660 |
|
Louisiana |
$42,310 |
|
Colorado |
$41,880 |
|
Rhode Island |
$40,820 |
|
Idaho |
$39,330 |
|
Tennessee |
$38,500 |
|
Arizona |
$38,350 |
|
North Carolina |
$38,270 |
|
New Hampshire |
$37,710 |
|
New Jersey |
$37,550 |
|
Nevada |
$37,320 |
|
Missouri |
$37,120 |
|
Texas |
$37,000 |
|
Iowa |
$36,720 |
|
New Mexico |
$36,410 |
|
Florida |
$36,190 |
|
Oklahoma |
$36,170 |
|
Virginia |
$36,040 |
|
Wisconsin |
$35,940 |
|
Maine |
$35,690 |
|
Utah |
$35,630 |
|
Vermont |
$35,570 |
|
Nebraska |
$35,500 |
|
Wyoming |
$35,430 |
|
Indiana |
$35,350 |
|
North Dakota |
$35,150 |
|
South Carolina |
$34,670 |
|
Arkansas |
$34,660 |
|
Georgia |
$34,450 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$34,310 |
|
Ohio |
$34,020 |
|
Michigan |
$33,760 |
|
South Dakota |
$32,620 |
|
Mississippi |
$32,480 |
|
Montana |
$32,050 |
|
Kentucky |
$31,250 |
|
Kansas |
$30,890 |
|
Alabama |
$30,240 |
|
West Virginia |
$29,920 |
But annual wages are not the only ones that vary from state to state. Hourly salaries are what make a big difference in the average paramedic salary.
How Much do Paramedics Make an Hour?
Hourly salaries are often the thing that is regulated when people talk about minimum wages. Most states also have a minimum hourly wage for their jobs. An average paramedic salary can also be broken down into hourly chunks. The average hourly pay for paramedics is $26.99.
|
State of Residence |
Average Hourly Paramedic Salary |
|
Hawai’i |
$27.22 |
|
Washington |
$26.99 |
|
Maryland |
$24.40 |
|
Alaska |
$24.35 |
|
Connecticut |
$22.36 |
|
New York |
$21.60 |
|
Massachusetts |
$21.22 |
|
California |
$21.00 |
|
Minnesota |
$20.97 |
|
Illinois |
$20.82 |
|
Delaware |
$20.77 |
|
Oregon |
$20.51 |
|
Louisiana |
$20.34 |
|
Colorado |
$20.13 |
|
Rhode Island |
$19.63 |
|
Idaho |
$18.91 |
|
Tennessee |
$18.51 |
|
Arizona |
$18.44 |
|
North Carolina |
$18.40 |
|
New Hampshire |
$18.13 |
|
New Jersey |
$18.05 |
|
Nevada |
$17.94 |
|
Missouri |
$17.85 |
|
Texas |
$17.79 |
|
Iowa |
$17.65 |
|
New Mexico |
$17.50 |
|
Florida |
$17.40 |
|
Oklahoma |
$17.39 |
|
Virginia |
$17.33 |
|
Wisconsin |
$17.28 |
|
Maine |
$17.16 |
|
Utah |
$17.13 |
|
Vermont |
$17.10 |
|
Nebraska |
$17.07 |
|
Wyoming |
$17.03 |
|
Indiana |
$17.00 |
|
North Dakota |
$16.90 |
|
South Carolina |
$16.67 |
|
Arkansas |
$16.66 |
|
Georgia |
$16.56 |
|
Pennsylvania |
$16.50 |
|
Ohio |
$16.36 |
|
Michigan |
$16.23 |
|
South Dakota |
$15.68 |
|
Mississippi |
$15.62 |
|
Montana |
$15.41 |
|
Kentucky |
$15.02 |
|
Kansas |
$14.85 |
|
Alabama |
$14.54 |
|
West Virginia |
$14.38 |
With a range of around $13.00 per hour difference between the highest paying paramedic job and the lowest, you can see how much you make is determined by where you live. It can also be determined by how much training you have.
Other Types of Paramedic Salaries
Once you have completed the standard 1,200 to 1,800 hours of training you can go through more training to learn how to do different medical procedures. You can also go through specified training to help you be able to do a different type of paramedic job. These different types of jobs also have average paramedic salaries that vary from the normal paramedic salary.
Advanced Care Paramedic Salary
Advanced care paramedics are essentially senior-level paramedics, meaning they have the most training out of all paramedics. The average annual salary for advanced care paramedics is $61,870.
Community Paramedics Salary
This is a paramedic that is licensed with at least a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) level IV or higher, and they care for individuals in their homes with the supervision of a licensed physician. Their average annual wage is $49,868.
Critical Care Paramedics Salary
These paramedics provide care to critically ill or injured patients during transport from one facility to another whether by air or land. Critical care paramedics make an annual average of $80,547.
Emergency Room Technicians Salary
Emergency room technicians assist emergency medical teams in monitoring a patient’s condition as well as collecting samples from them when they arrive in an emergency room. Their average annual pay is $63,507.
Firefighter Paramedic Salary
Some people want to save lives and provide care, so they become firefighter-paramedics and are especially practiced in treating fire-related injuries and illnesses (such as smoke inhalation and burns). Firefighter paramedics make an annual average salary of $51,532.
Flight Paramedic Salary
As the name suggests, flight paramedics care for patients who are en route to a care facility by air travel and are allowed to do advanced medical procedures without the supervision of a physician. The average annual wage for a flight paramedic is $71,635.
Tactical Paramedic Salary
A tactical paramedic travels with teams such as SWAT to provide care for the SWAT teams and undergo training in tactical medicine. Their average annual salary is $59,961.
Shipboard Paramedic Salary
Though they can serve on all kinds of ships, shipboard paramedics are often on hand on cruise ships to care for any accidents that may occur with cruise ship passengers. Their average annual salary is $58,936.
How Much Do Paramedics Make FAQs
Compared to the average paramedic salary, EMTs make an average of almost $6,000 less. The reason for this is that EMTs have much less training (only about 10% of what paramedics go through), and they can do far less when arriving at emergency scenes.
No, paramedics go through more training than EMTs and can do more medical care at emergency scenes. To learn more about the differences, check out our article comparing paramedics and EMTs.
The highest-paid paramedic is a critical care paramedic as they care for critically ill and injured patients during transport, so they have the most training and experience.