Healthcare practitioners
Emergency medical technician
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
Median pay
$44,470
Growth to 2035
+6%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
13,800
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Emergency medical technician
$44,47010% earn under $34,130 · middle half $37,960–$50,100 · top 10% over $62,500
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Emergency medical technician
Dealing with the public
RarelyConstantly
Time pressure
RarelyConstantly
Freedom to make decisions
LittleA lot
Core tasks
Also called: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) · First Responder
Outlook and AI
Emergency medical technicians held 181,900 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 192,500 by 2035 (+6%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Emergency medical technician vs. Paramedic
- Emergency medical technician vs. Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
- Emergency medical technician vs. Surgical assistant
- Emergency medical technician vs. Registered nurse
- Emergency medical technician vs. Licensed practical nurse (LPN)
- Emergency medical technician vs. Cardiovascular technologists and technicians
- Emergency medical technician vs. Nursing assistant
- Emergency medical technician vs. Respiratory therapist
- Emergency medical technician vs. Psychiatric technician