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Healthcare

Emergency Medical Technicians

Stacks well

Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

Median salary (BLS)

$44,470

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$34k – $63k

Job outlook

+5% (faster than average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Emergency Medical Technicians

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Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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How to qualify

License required

Cost to qualify

$1,150–$2,300

Time to qualify

6 mo

Renewal

$38/yr

  1. 1

    EMT-Basic course (~150 hrs)

    Course

    State-approved EMT training program.

    $1,000–$2,000 · 4 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    NREMT exam (cognitive + psychomotor)

    Exam

    National Registry certification exams.

    $100–$150 · 1 months source

  3. 3

    State EMT certification

    License

    State licensure after national certification.

    $50–$150 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Which occupations require a license and in which states: CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. DOL). Costs/hours are curated estimates that vary by state and change — see each step's official source.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Emergency Medical Technicians

    Entry / Junior

    $34,130

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Emergency Medical Technicians

    Established

    $44,470

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Emergency Medical Technicians

    Senior

    $53,485

Key skills

A typical day

    Fields of study

    Any field

    Top colleges for Healthcare

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    Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.