Healthcare
Emergency Medical Technicians
Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.
Median salary
$41,340
Typical range
$31k – $61k
Job outlook
+5% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Plan a path to Emergency Medical Technicians
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →How to qualify
License requiredCost to qualify
$1,150–$2,300
Time to qualify
6 mo
Renewal
$38/yr
- 1
EMT-Basic course (~150 hrs)
CourseState-approved EMT training program.
$1,000–$2,000 · 4 months · varies by state source
- 2
NREMT exam (cognitive + psychomotor)
ExamNational Registry certification exams.
$100–$150 · 1 months source
- 3
State EMT certification
LicenseState 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
Junior Emergency Medical Technicians
Entry / Junior
$31,410
~2 yrs to advance
Emergency Medical Technicians
Established
$41,340
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Emergency Medical Technicians
Senior
$51,060
Key skills
A typical day
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Healthcare
Explore all- Johns Hopkins University7% admit · $93,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- Duke University6% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.