Paramedic salary by percentile
Half of the 100,610 paramedics in the U.S. earn more than $60,600 a year, and the middle half earn $49,660 to $73,470.[onet_para][oews][oews_api] The take-home column applies 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $44,230 | $21.26 | $37,719 |
| 25th | $49,660 | $23.88 | $42,082 |
| Median (50th) | $60,600 | $29.13 | $50,872 |
| 75th | $73,470 | $35.32 | $60,516 |
| 90th | $84,850 | $40.79 | $68,522 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
A $70,000 paramedic salary is about the 68th percentile nationally, and only 6 states have a 90th percentile of $100,000 or more (Washington, California, Alaska, Maryland, Delaware, Illinois). BLS counts straight-time wages only, so the overtime that is routine on 24-hour schedules is on top of these figures.[oews_faq]
Paramedic hourly pay
Paramedic hourly pay is $29.13 at the median, $21.26 at the 10th percentile and $40.79 at the 90th.[onet_para] Because many paramedics work 24-on/48-off or similar rotations that average 48 to 56 hours a week, the hourly rate is the better number to compare offers on. Put the rate and your average weekly hours in the calculator; it applies the hours you enter without assuming any overtime premium.
| Percentile | Hourly | 40 h/week | 48 h/week | 56 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $21.26 | $44,230 | $53,076 | $61,922 |
| 25th | $23.88 | $49,660 | $59,592 | $69,524 |
| Median | $29.13 | $60,600 | $72,720 | $84,840 |
| 75th | $35.32 | $73,470 | $88,164 | $102,858 |
| 90th | $40.79 | $84,850 | $101,820 | $118,790 |
Paramedic salary by state
Washington is the outlier: its $104,310 median is $17,680 above the next state, New Jersey ($86,630), and 6 of the 12 best-paying metro areas are in Washington.[onet_para] Oklahoma pays the least at $46,790. The Washington figure covers only workers whose main job BLS codes as paramedic; it does not separate fire-department and private-ambulance employers.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington | $104,310 | $50.15 | $61,010 | $133,040 |
| 2. New Jersey | $86,630 | $41.65 | $76,260 | $99,420 |
| 3. Hawaii | $81,280 | $39.08 | $66,250 | $81,440 |
| 4. District of Columbia | $78,550 | $37.76 | $62,980 | $96,640 |
| 5. Connecticut | $77,480 | $37.25 | $60,370 | $90,060 |
| 6. Minnesota | $76,300 | $36.68 | $60,320 | $93,910 |
| 7. Oregon | $74,840 | $35.98 | $51,850 | $95,900 |
| 8. California | $74,590 | $35.86 | $53,370 | $102,450 |
| 9. New York | $73,200 | $35.19 | $55,900 | $98,050 |
| 10. Alaska | $71,860 | $34.55 | $53,820 | $103,550 |
| 11. Maryland | $66,660 | $32.05 | $51,020 | $101,860 |
| 12. Massachusetts | $66,340 | $31.89 | $60,410 | $84,540 |
| 13. Utah | $65,420 | $31.45 | $45,820 | $94,620 |
| 14. Delaware | $64,240 | $30.88 | $50,550 | $102,140 |
| 15. New Hampshire | $64,210 | $30.87 | $53,180 | $79,370 |
| 16. Wyoming | $64,040 | $30.79 | $47,520 | $80,070 |
| 17. Colorado | $63,910 | $30.73 | $49,110 | $87,320 |
| 18. Rhode Island | $63,550 | $30.55 | $50,960 | $81,490 |
| 19. Maine | $63,050 | $30.31 | $54,810 | $78,340 |
| 20. North Dakota | $62,320 | $29.96 | $48,270 | $75,440 |
| 21. Pennsylvania | $61,000 | $29.33 | $48,040 | $81,590 |
| 22. Illinois | $60,660 | $29.16 | $47,210 | $106,810 |
| 23. Iowa | $60,590 | $29.13 | $47,750 | $78,140 |
| 24. Virginia | $60,480 | $29.08 | $42,520 | $77,280 |
| 25. Idaho | $60,380 | $29.03 | $48,940 | $83,510 |
| 26. Vermont | $60,360 | $29.02 | $47,140 | $76,150 |
| 27. Indiana | $60,320 | $29.00 | $46,040 | $76,030 |
| 28. Florida | $60,140 | $28.91 | $44,050 | $85,390 |
| 29. Wisconsin | $59,710 | $28.71 | $46,530 | $75,760 |
| 30. Nevada | $59,280 | $28.50 | $49,320 | $83,580 |
| 31. Missouri | $59,180 | $28.45 | $45,480 | $81,300 |
| 32. Arizona | $58,600 | $28.17 | $46,180 | $76,540 |
| 33. Tennessee | $57,690 | $27.74 | $41,410 | $80,190 |
| 34. Georgia | $57,660 | $27.72 | $40,600 | $82,980 |
| 35. Texas | $57,500 | $27.64 | $41,030 | $77,700 |
| 36. North Carolina | $57,320 | $27.56 | $44,730 | $75,170 |
| 37. Nebraska | $56,230 | $27.03 | $45,240 | $76,710 |
| 38. Louisiana | $56,050 | $26.95 | $37,530 | $63,470 |
| 39. New Mexico | $55,530 | $26.70 | $39,830 | $78,010 |
| 40. Mississippi | $54,630 | $26.26 | $39,690 | $71,710 |
| 41. South Carolina | $53,550 | $25.75 | $40,710 | $67,180 |
| 42. Michigan | $52,080 | $25.04 | $43,400 | $66,070 |
| 43. Ohio | $51,300 | $24.66 | $38,750 | $72,140 |
| 44. Kansas | $51,020 | $24.53 | $40,780 | $64,090 |
| 45. Montana | $50,890 | $24.47 | $35,590 | $70,190 |
| 46. Arkansas | $50,310 | $24.19 | $38,840 | $72,880 |
| 47. Kentucky | $49,890 | $23.99 | $40,050 | $66,820 |
| 48. South Dakota | $48,830 | $23.48 | $30,950 | $58,380 |
| 49. Alabama | $48,540 | $23.34 | $36,160 | $62,230 |
| 50. West Virginia | $48,460 | $23.30 | $35,930 | $62,800 |
| 51. Oklahoma | $46,790 | $22.50 | $37,180 | $61,310 |
Highest-paying metro areas for paramedics
Seattle-area employers top the paramedic pay list, led by Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at a $123,310 median, against a Washington statewide median of $104,310.[onet_para]
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $123,310 | $59.28 | $77,530 | $144,230 |
| 2. Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | $120,260 | $57.82 | $49,690 | $134,190 |
| 3. Bellingham, WA | $119,970 | $57.68 | $109,330 | $123,490 |
| 4. Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $119,700 | $57.55 | $62,440 | $131,780 |
| 5. Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA | $109,620 | $52.70 | $66,990 | $127,290 |
| 6. Kennewick-Richland, WA | $101,250 | $48.68 | $60,690 | $104,310 |
| 7. Redding, CA | $88,740 | $42.66 | $48,190 | $102,510 |
| 8. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $84,480 | $40.62 | $66,770 | $133,450 |
| 9. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $83,090 | $39.95 | $63,450 | $127,990 |
| 10. Ogden, UT | $82,650 | $39.74 | $43,880 | $91,870 |
| 11. Coeur d'Alene, ID | $82,310 | $39.57 | $73,450 | $97,080 |
| 12. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $82,060 | $39.45 | $61,050 | $92,250 |
Firefighter paramedic and flight paramedic salary
BLS publishes no separate firefighter paramedic salary or flight paramedic salary. Both titles are inside the paramedic occupation: O*NET's reported job titles for paramedics include "Firefighter Paramedic", "Flight Paramedic" and "Critical Care Paramedic", so these workers are counted in the percentiles above when paramedic care is their main job.[sum_para] BLS does not break the occupation down by employer type, so any exact dollar figure quoted for a firefighter or flight paramedic is not an official government number. Firefighters whose main job is firefighting are a separate occupation.
Paramedic vs EMT
A paramedic earns $16,130 more than an EMT at the median ($60,600 against $44,470).[onet_emt] EMT pay by state and the math of 24-hour shifts are on EMT salary, and the state-by-state premium is on EMT vs paramedic. The training path from EMT to paramedic, the NREMT exam fees and paramedic school costs are on EMT certification cost, and the allied health salary overview compares paramedics with six other careers.
Frequently asked questions
How much do paramedics make?
$60,600 a year at the national median (BLS, May 2025), with the middle half earning $49,660 to $73,470.
How much do paramedics make an hour?
$29.13 at the median, $21.26 at the 10th percentile and $40.79 at the 90th, before overtime.
Which state pays paramedics the most?
Washington, with a $104,310 median, then New Jersey ($86,630) and Hawaii.
What is the firefighter paramedic salary?
There is no official separate figure. "Firefighter Paramedic" is one of the job titles counted in the paramedic occupation, so the paramedic percentiles are the closest official benchmark.
Sources
- Local Wages: 29-2043.00 Paramedics (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS national employment and wage series, May 2025 (BLS Public Data API, series OEUN0000000000000
01 and 13) - OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Summary Report for 29-2043.00 Paramedics (sample job titles)
- Local Wages: 29-2042.00 Emergency Medical Technicians (state and metro percentiles)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)