Paramedics
Paramedics earn an average annual salary of $76,494, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 13.4% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Health Care and Social Assistance.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Paramedics workforce.
Employment Over Time
6,090 Workforce in 2023
The Paramedics workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Paramedics.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$76,494 Average Wage
In 2023, Paramedics earned an average of $76,494.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Paramedics.
Salary distribution for Paramedics.
Employment Growth Projections
7.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
33,189 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 43.8%
47,726 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 106.8%
This occupation is projected to grow at 7.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Paramedics.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Paramedics and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Paramedics employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Paramedics.
Wage Trends by Industry
-14.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Paramedics.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Paramedics.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 5,180 employees, $77,630 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Paramedics.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 790 employees, $89,438 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 750 employees, $80,091 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 680 employees, $71,891 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 620 employees, $75,087 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 420 employees, $76,258 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 370 employees, $69,745 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 260 employees, $60,429 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 180 employees, $90,114 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 180 employees, $93,572 avg wage
- Stockton-Lodi MSA: 150 employees, $75,025 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Paramedics.
Diversity
Demographic information on Paramedics in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Paramedics in 2023 was 6,090 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Paramedics.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Paramedics.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Paramedics.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Paramedics in 2023 were Business, Social Sciences, General Studies.
Common majors for Paramedics.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Paramedics workers.
Education level distribution for Paramedics.
Skills
Paramedics need many skills, but most especially .
Required skills for Paramedics.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Paramedics.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Paramedics include .
Knowledge areas required for Paramedics.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Paramedics include .
Required abilities for Paramedics.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Paramedics.
Daily Activities
Paramedics spend their time on activities such as .
Most important work activities for Paramedics.
About
Paramedics
The average yearly wage for Paramedics was $76,494 in 2023.
SOC Code
29-2043 - Paramedics
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Paramedics reports an average salary of $76,494.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 6,090 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 7.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.