Paramedic – Career Rankings and Salary

Paramedics are integral players in the infrastructure of health care and emergency medical services.

More highly trained than emergency medical technicians (EMT-Basic or EMT-Intermediate) and qualified to administer a more comprehensive amount of care to patients, paramedics (or EMT-Ps) are often literal life-savers and make a world of difference in patients’ lives.

Career Ranking for Paramedics

As a career, paramedic is considered a health care support job. Other positions designated as such include MRI technician and dental hygienist, among many others including key assistants to other health care providers. What typically designates these careers as such is the extensive medical training they require, and that professionals perform under a physician’s supervision. In this industry, paramedic is ranked as the #25 best job by U.S. News and World Report.

According to U.S. News, jobs are ranked under the following criteria, in descending order of importance:

● Median salary
● Employment rate
● 10-year growth volume
● 10-year growth percentage
● Job prospects
● Stress level
● Work-life balance

Salary and Highest Earners for Paramedics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median 2014 annual salary for EMT-Ps was $31,700. On the lowest end of the spectrum, paramedics brought in roughly $20,690; the highest earners reported salary figures of approximately $54,690. The best-paid paramedics are reportedly employed in Seattle and Olympia, Washington and Santa Cruz, California metro areas.