How to Become a Paramedic
Deliver advanced emergency care in the field: assessing patients, administering medications, and stabilizing life-threatening conditions before hospital arrival. It typically requires an associate degree, with a median salary of $60,600 per year and faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$60,600/yr
Middle half
$49,660 to $73,470
Job growth
Faster than average
Openings / yr
4,900
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Emergency Care
- Advanced Life Support
- Medication Administration
- Rapid Assessment
- Teamwork
Helpful certifications
- NRP (National Registry Paramedic)
- State paramedic licensure
Related careers
- Psychiatrist$281,870 median
- Physician (Family Medicine)$244,180 median
- Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)$236,590 median
- Dentist$170,950 median
- Pharmacist$140,910 median
- Optometrist$136,570 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Paramedic make?
The median pay for a Paramedic is $60,600 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $49,660 and $73,470 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Paramedic?
The usual entry point is an associate degree. Common majors are Emergency Medical Services, Paramedicine, and Public Health.
Is Paramedic a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 4,900 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Paramedic use most?
Common skills for this role are Emergency Care, Advanced Life Support, Medication Administration, Rapid Assessment, and Teamwork.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).