Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
EMT
Emergency medical technicians respond to 911 calls, assess and stabilize patients, and transport them to hospitals with ambulance services, fire departments, and hospitals. Many use the job as the step to paramedic, firefighter, or nursing.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What an EMT makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$44,470
$21.38 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $37,960
- 75th percentile
- $50,100
- 90th percentile
- $62,500
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- Not published
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +5.8%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 13,800
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
An EMT course of about 120 to 200 hours at a community college or training academy, then the NREMT exam and state certification. Most states require you to be 18 with a high school diploma or GED, CPR certification, a background check, and a driver's license.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
The next step
EMT course, NREMT certification exam, state license
- Typical cost
- $800 to $2,000 for the course; NREMT exam $104
- Time to complete
- 3 to 6 months
Where to start NREMT exam prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for emergency medical technicians by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $31.93 | $66,410 | $59,170 to $84,620 | 560 |
| Alaska | $27.61 | $57,440 | $48,130 to $63,350 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $25.78 | $53,610 | $48,010 to $60,900 | 6,120 |
| Washington | $25.33 | $52,690 | $47,560 to $56,580 | 2,940 |
| Rhode Island | $24.66 | $51,290 | $44,440 to $56,520 | 430 |
| Connecticut | $24.35 | $50,640 | $46,640 to $56,850 | 2,190 |
| Massachusetts | $24.15 | $50,230 | $46,880 to $54,000 | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $23.69 | $49,270 | $43,220 to $55,530 | 1,970 |
| New York | $23.27 | $48,400 | $43,270 to $63,870 | 14,840 |
| Maryland | $23.12 | $48,100 | $45,490 to $61,460 | 3,400 |
| Minnesota | $23.12 | $48,090 | $41,480 to $52,940 | 3,160 |
| Wyoming | $22.63 | $47,070 | $37,550 to $53,660 | 400 |
| Delaware | $22.49 | $46,790 | $44,810 to $51,020 | 950 |
| New Hampshire | $22.50 | $46,790 | $39,240 to $50,540 | 1,010 |
| District of Columbia | $22.43 | $46,650 | $39,310 to $59,890 | 370 |
| California | $22.30 | $46,380 | $42,610 to $59,180 | 21,880 |
| Maine | $22.28 | $46,340 | $42,000 to $49,080 | 1,110 |
| Colorado | $22.00 | $45,750 | $40,100 to $49,930 | 3,060 |
| Vermont | $21.93 | $45,600 | $39,120 to $48,230 | 790 |
| Georgia | $21.90 | $45,550 | $37,820 to $48,400 | 6,260 |
| Virginia | $21.84 | $45,420 | $38,620 to $50,390 | 4,490 |
| North Carolina | $21.27 | $44,250 | $38,260 to $49,310 | 6,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $20.82 | $43,310 | $37,630 to $47,480 | 10,160 |
| Wisconsin | $20.70 | $43,060 | $37,940 to $49,960 | 3,930 |
| Indiana | $20.55 | $42,740 | $37,930 to $47,330 | 4,160 |
| Illinois | $20.32 | $42,260 | $39,430 to $49,640 | 7,840 |
| Missouri | $20.27 | $42,160 | $37,060 to $47,230 | 2,800 |
| Nebraska | $20.05 | $41,710 | $36,830 to $52,070 | 540 |
| Iowa | $19.55 | $40,660 | $37,030 to $47,870 | 1,510 |
| South Carolina | $19.41 | $40,370 | $38,050 to $46,660 | 4,010 |
| Tennessee | $19.39 | $40,330 | $36,910 to $48,430 | 3,860 |
| Ohio | $19.34 | $40,220 | $37,580 to $47,490 | 5,560 |
| Florida | $19.17 | $39,870 | $36,690 to $47,000 | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $19.17 | $39,870 | $37,600 to $45,130 | 4,230 |
| North Dakota | $19.07 | $39,670 | $37,180 to $50,870 | 760 |
| Arizona | $18.99 | $39,500 | $34,820 to $48,350 | 3,970 |
| Utah | $18.72 | $38,930 | $37,630 to $44,000 | 1,280 |
| Idaho | $18.67 | $38,840 | $31,200 to $47,030 | 780 |
| Alabama | $18.18 | $37,810 | $31,270 to $44,210 | 2,020 |
| Nevada | $18.06 | $37,560 | $35,920 to $48,850 | 1,530 |
| New Mexico | $18.05 | $37,550 | $35,880 to $47,600 | 1,260 |
| Texas | $17.91 | $37,260 | $35,130 to $44,240 | 12,770 |
| Kentucky | $17.69 | $36,800 | $31,200 to $44,380 | 2,770 |
| South Dakota | $17.69 | $36,800 | $34,780 to $43,570 | 600 |
| Mississippi | $17.61 | $36,630 | $29,120 to $39,100 | 1,390 |
| Arkansas | $17.42 | $36,230 | $31,840 to $41,670 | 1,120 |
| Montana | $17.38 | $36,140 | $30,330 to $41,530 | 860 |
| Louisiana | $17.25 | $35,870 | $29,240 to $38,110 | 2,450 |
| Kansas | $17.20 | $35,780 | $31,290 to $39,060 | 1,510 |
| West Virginia | $16.52 | $34,360 | $30,930 to $39,310 | 900 |
| Oklahoma | $16.43 | $34,170 | $28,210 to $37,430 | 2,410 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be an EMT?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry. The usual credential is EMT course, NREMT certification exam, state license.
How much does an EMT make?
The median pay was $44,470 a year ($21.38 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $37,960 and $50,100, and the top 10 percent earned more than $62,500.
How long does it take to become an EMT?
3 to 6 months. The typical cost is $800 to $2,000 for the course; NREMT exam $104.
Is EMT work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 5.8% from 2025 to 2035 with about 13,800 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 29-2042.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile