What are the main factors that influence an EMT-Basic's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change An EMT-Basic's salary?

An EMT-Basic's salary grows with experience: an EMT-Basic (1-3 years)earns $40,539, a Paramedic (3-5 years)earns $48,687, an EMT/Paramedic Supervisor (5+ years)earns $66,192,

What are the highest paying states for an EMT-Basic?

EMT-Basic salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for EMT-Basic roles are District of Columbia $45,188, California $45,017, Massachusetts $44,417. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How do different companies affect an EMT-Basic's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for EMT-Basic roles. Large, established industry leaders like New York Police Department ($97,099) and State of New York - Metropolitan Transportation Authority ($95,962) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $75,106.

EMT-Basic Salary in the United States

How much does an EMT-Basic make in the United States?

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for an EMT-Basic in the United States is $40,813 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $20.

However, an EMT-Basic's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $47,940
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $36,214 to $44,544
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $32,026

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EMT-Basic Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$44,544	$3,712	$857	$21
Average	$40,813	$3,401	$785	$20
25th Percentile	$36,214	$3,018	$696	$17

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence EMT-Basic Salaries

An EMT-Basic's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do EMT-Basic Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract EMT-Basics. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $45,188.
California: $45,017.
Massachusetts: $44,417.

District of Columbia $45,188 California $45,017 Massachusetts $44,417 Washington $44,254 New Jersey $44,238 Alaska $44,180 Connecticut $43,617 New York $43,389

Hawaii $42,658 Rhode Island $42,315 Maryland $42,083 Minnesota $41,764 Colorado $41,642 Illinois $41,601 Oregon $41,446 Delaware $41,332

New Hampshire $41,260 Virginia $41,099 Pennsylvania $40,630 Nevada $40,393 North Dakota $40,315 Michigan $40,193 Wisconsin $40,148 Vermont $40,058

Texas $39,809 Maine $39,793 Arizona $39,768 Ohio $39,740 Georgia $39,364 Indiana $39,177 Wyoming $39,140 Utah $39,083

Iowa $39,058 Kansas $38,862 Louisiana $38,805 North Carolina $38,785 Missouri $38,777 Florida $38,618 Montana $38,532 Nebraska $38,450

Kentucky $38,405 South Carolina $38,242 Tennessee $38,140 Idaho $38,099 New Mexico $37,801 Oklahoma $37,736 Alabama $37,495 South Dakota $37,091

Arkansas $36,871 West Virginia $36,752 Mississippi $36,397

Top Paying Cities for EMT-Basics

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $51,478
San Francisco: $50,972
Oakland: $49,841

San Jose, CA $51,478

San Francisco, CA $50,972

Oakland, CA $49,841

New York, NY $47,299

Queens Village, NY $46,992

Paramus, NJ $46,666

Passaic, NJ $46,625

Bergenfield, NJ $46,584

Stamford, CT $46,523

Huntington, NY $46,482

Newark, NJ $46,217

Bridgeport, CT $46,135

New Brunswick, NJ $46,001

Vallejo, CA $45,915

Middlesex, NJ $45,890

Somerset, NJ $45,854

Petaluma, CA $45,760

Santa Cruz, CA $45,601

Boston, MA $45,519

Monterey, CA $45,315

Fairbanks, AK $45,286

Los Angeles, CA $45,209

Washington, DC $45,188

Seattle, WA $45,115

Santa Rosa, CA $45,107

Juneau, AK $44,989

Orange, CA $44,854

Anchorage, AK $44,780

Anaheim, CA $44,752

Santa Ana, CA $44,691

Nassau, NY $44,666

Long Beach, CA $44,650

Danbury, CT $44,638

Santa Maria, CA $44,499

Everett, WA $44,491

Bremerton, WA $44,291

Trenton, NJ $44,213

Sacramento, CA $44,197

San Diego, CA $44,176

Brockton, MA $44,160

Tacoma, WA $44,144

Santa Barbara, CA $44,087

Lowell, MA $43,923

New Suffolk, NY $43,907

Nashua, NH $43,858

Lompoc, CA $43,793

Ventura, CA $43,752

Stockton, CA $43,740

New Haven, CT $43,658

Atlantic City, NJ $43,552

Hartford, CT $43,462

Modesto, CA $43,442

Poughkeepsie, NY $43,352

New Britain, CT $43,331

Olympia, WA $43,274

Kennewick, WA $43,274

New London, CT $43,266

Norwich, CT $43,254

Lawrence, MA $43,234

Bakersfield, CA $43,119

Riverside, CA $43,062

New Bedford, MA $43,062

Richland, WA $43,021

Portsmouth, NH $42,989

Vineland, NJ $42,980

San Bernardino, CA $42,948

Boulder, CO $42,834

Worcester, MA $42,801

Portland, OR $42,764

Saint Paul, MN $42,715

Minneapolis, MN $42,715

Philadelphia, PA $42,658

Honolulu, HI $42,442

Springfield, MA $42,299

Providence, RI $42,295

Chicago, IL $42,176

Bellingham, WA $42,127

Baltimore, MD $42,083

Chico, CA $41,981

Wilmington, DE $41,911

Pittsfield, MA $41,870

Manchester, NH $41,793

Spokane, WA $41,613

Denver, CO $41,609

Albany, NY $41,417

Troy, NY $41,401

Schenectady, NY $41,315

Burlington, VT $41,226

Portland, ME $41,083

Salem, OR $41,050

Yakima, WA $41,042

Ann Arbor, MI $41,030

Rochester, MN $40,915

Fresno, CA $40,895

Reno, NV $40,895

Milwaukee, WI $40,858

Detroit, MI $40,817

Allentown, PA $40,805

Carson City, NV $40,801

Houston, TX $40,740

Colorado Springs, CO $40,736

Syracuse, NY $40,715

Eugene, OR $40,638

Bismarck, ND $40,589

Gary, IN $40,589

Galveston, TX $40,589

Springfield, OR $40,556

Medford, OR $40,458

Fort Collins, CO $40,442

Austin, TX $40,409

Mesa, AZ $40,324

Phoenix, AZ $40,315

Dallas, TX $40,303

Reading, PA $40,279

Saint Cloud, MN $40,262

Concord, NH $40,226

Madison, WI $40,209

Utica, NY $40,099

Raleigh, NC $40,066

Las Vegas, NV $40,062

Rochester, NY $40,034

Des Moines, IA $40,030

Atlanta, GA $39,964

Battle Creek, MI $39,952

Salt Lake City, UT $39,940

Lancaster, PA $39,879

Champaign, IL $39,871

Harrisburg, PA $39,822

Durham, NC $39,785

Kansas City, MO $39,781

Kansas City, KS $39,773

Fort Worth, TX $39,768

Boca Raton, FL $39,752

Cleveland, OH $39,748

Columbus, OH $39,740

Pittsburgh, PA $39,736

Richmond, VA $39,720

Indianapolis, IN $39,711

Cincinnati, OH $39,658

Petersburg, VA $39,597

Billings, MT $39,507

Lansing, MI $39,507

Huntsville, AL $39,507

Lebanon, PA $39,503

Dayton, OH $39,499

Pueblo, CO $39,499

Appleton, WI $39,487

Buffalo, NY $39,471

Racine, WI $39,450

Charlotte, NC $39,446

Saint Louis, MO $39,434

Springfield, IL $39,417

Elkhart, IN $39,409

York, PA $39,409

Gastonia, NC $39,405

Benton Harbor, MI $39,405

Beaumont, TX $39,381

Lorain, OH $39,373

Toledo, OH $39,356

Binghamton, NY $39,336

Rock Hill, SC $39,332

Rockford, IL $39,311

Fargo, ND $39,291

Elyria, OH $39,291

Flagstaff, AZ $39,262

Fort Lauderdale, FL $39,238

Miami, FL $39,213

Duluth, MN $39,148

Bangor, ME $39,095

Cedar Rapids, IA $39,050

Louisville, KY $39,030

Grand Rapids, MI $39,022

Hialeah, FL $39,018

Casper, WY $38,960

Scranton, PA $38,911

New Orleans, LA $38,899

Virginia Beach, VA $38,895

Akron, OH $38,875

Peoria, IL $38,822

Sarasota, FL $38,813

Green Bay, WI $38,785

Baton Rouge, LA $38,764

Charleston, SC $38,756

Nashville, TN $38,744

Jamestown, NY $38,736

Davenport, IA $38,736

Tucson, AZ $38,715

Cheyenne, WY $38,703

Saint Petersburg, FL $38,691

Tampa, FL $38,683

Omaha, NE $38,675

Port Arthur, TX $38,658

Evansville, IN $38,658

Bradenton, FL $38,642

Santa Fe, NM $38,569

Orlando, FL $38,528

Clearwater, FL $38,483

Canton, OH $38,397

La Crosse, WI $38,397

Grand Forks, ND $38,385

Albuquerque, NM $38,373

Tulsa, OK $38,373

Newport News, VA $38,369

High Point, NC $38,356

Ogden, UT $38,340

Corpus Christi, TX $38,307

Laramie, WY $38,283

Norfolk, VA $38,283

Rock Island, IL $38,258

Saginaw, MI $38,250

Jacksonville, FL $38,246

Salisbury, NC $38,238

Memphis, TN $38,230

Moline, IL $38,209

Fort Myers, FL $38,197

Waterloo, IA $38,144

Spartanburg, SC $38,103

Lincoln, NE $38,083

Fort Wayne, IN $38,075

Birmingham, AL $38,030

Cedar Falls, IA $38,022

Provo, UT $38,018

Springfield, OH $38,014

San Antonio, TX $38,005

Greensboro, NC $37,989

South Bend, IN $37,985

Winston Salem, NC $37,981

Boise, ID $37,969

Savannah, GA $37,940

Muskegon, MI $37,867

Lima, OH $37,818

Lake Charles, LA $37,801

Anderson, IN $37,793

Lexington, KY $37,781

Augusta, GA $37,769

Greenville, SC $37,769

Wichita, KS $37,732

Tuscaloosa, AL $37,732

Columbia, SC $37,695

Bloomington, IN $37,593

Roanoke, VA $37,569

Asheville, NC $37,516

Knoxville, TN $37,446

Shreveport, LA $37,442

Wilmington, NC $37,389

Frankfort, KY $37,312

Oklahoma City, OK $37,283

Chillicothe, OH $37,267

Longview, TX $37,263

Topeka, KS $37,250

Mobile, AL $37,189

Terre Haute, IN $37,173

Erie, PA $37,169

Altoona, PA $37,148

Melbourne, FL $37,136

Amarillo, TX $37,120

Killeen, TX $37,107

Fayetteville, AR $37,075

Sioux Falls, SD $37,046

Chattanooga, TN $37,022

Idaho Falls, ID $37,018

Gainesville, FL $36,932

Portsmouth, OH $36,912

Little Rock, AR $36,903

Lynchburg, VA $36,903

Lafayette, LA $36,887

Youngstown, OH $36,887

Temple, TX $36,871

Daytona Beach, FL $36,863

Clarksville, TN $36,858

Pensacola, FL $36,854

Hopkinsville, KY $36,732

Charleston, WV $36,728

Florence, SC $36,707

Sioux City, IA $36,683

Macon, GA $36,565

Tallahassee, FL $36,561

Fayetteville, NC $36,552

Waco, TX $36,544

Wichita Falls, TX $36,544

Pine Bluff, AR $36,528

Vincennes, IN $36,450

Lubbock, TX $36,434

Great Falls, MT $36,410

Alamogordo, NM $36,405

Abilene, TX $36,373

Rapid City, SD $36,320

Monroe, LA $36,320

Albany, GA $36,295

Huntington, WV $36,291

Jackson, MS $36,287

Greenville, MS $36,283

Parkersburg, WV $36,242

Montgomery, AL $36,234

Johnstown, PA $36,226

Springfield, MO $36,193

Biloxi, MS $36,173

Sumter, SC $36,087

Columbus, GA $36,083

Twin Falls, ID $36,059

Pascagoula, MS $36,005

Kingsport, TN $35,899

Gulfport, MS $35,887

Alexandria, LA $35,752

Fort Smith, AR $35,650

El Paso, TX $35,540

Helena, MT $35,487

Las Cruces, NM $35,357

Harlingen, TX $35,242

Pocatello, ID $35,206

Florence, AL $35,193

Brownsville, TX $35,185

Dothan, AL $35,120

Mcallen, TX $35,099

Columbus, MS $34,797

Altus, OK $34,610

Lawton, OK $34,532

Pierre, SD $34,385

What Skills Can Increase an EMT-Basic's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 7.49% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Installation (Mentioned in 2.59% Job Postings): The action or process of installing someone or something, or of being installed. the act of installing the state of being installed, something that is installed for use.
Cardiac (Mentioned in 1.81% Job Postings): Cardiac means relating to the heart. The adjective cardiac is most often used in a medical context: a doctor who operates on people's hearts is a cardiac surgeon and an irregular heart beat is called "cardiac arrhythmia."

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	7.49%
Installation	2.59%
Cardiac	1.81%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an EMT-Basic's salary.

Repairing: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Troubleshooting: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Repairing	$44,895	10%
Analysis	$44,078	8%
Troubleshooting	$44,078	8%
Physical Therapy	$43,670	7%
Acute Care	$42,854	5%
Installation	$42,854	5%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an EMT-Basic's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many EMT-Basics enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an EMT-Basic with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $35,949 and $38,283).

EMT-Basic Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for EMT-Basic

No Diploma 1.1%

High School 60.6%

Associates 19.6%

Bachelors 16.7%

Masters 1.5%

Doctorate 0.6%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.1%
High School	60.6%
Associates	19.6%
Bachelors	16.7%
Masters	1.5%
Doctorate	0.6%

view as graph

EMT-Basic Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an EMT-Basic's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on February 01, 2026

$36,214

Average $40,813/year

$44,544

$3,018

Average $3,401/month

$3,712

$696

Average $785/week

$857

$17

Average $20/hour

$21

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$44,544	$3,712	$857	$21
Average	$40,813	$3,401	$785	$20
25th Percentile	$36,214	$3,018	$696	$17

Salary Trends for EMT-Basic

Salaries for an EMT-Basic can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $43,634 in 2023 to around $42,607 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of EMT-Basic salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of EMT-Basic Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$43,634

2024

$43,425

2025

$42,607

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$43,634
2024	$43,425
2025	$42,607
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for EMT-Basic

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

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Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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