Medical Skilled Trades
Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
EMTs respond to 911 calls and care for sick and injured people at the scene and on the way to the hospital. It is a fast way into emergency medicine and the first step toward becoming a paramedic.
1.Career snapshot
- Role
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
- Pay (planning range)
- $35K–$55K+ Wealth Playbook guide, 2026
- Training time
- 3–6 months
- Pathway
- Emergency Medicine
- Demand
- Employment of EMTs and paramedics is projected to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
- Patient contact
- High
- Occupation code
- SOC 29-2042 · O*NET 29-2042.00
- Emergency / high-action
- Overtime potential
- Career advancement potential
2.What you'll do
Everyday work and where it happens
You never know exactly what the next call will be. You respond to calls, assess the patient, give first aid and basic life support, and get them safely to the hospital, handing over a clear report to the hospital staff. Between calls you restock supplies and clean the ambulance.
Typical duties
- Respond to calls for medical assistance
- Assess a patient's condition and decide what treatment is needed first
- Provide first aid and basic life support, including for breathing, cardiac and trauma emergencies
- Prepare patients and transport them to hospitals or other facilities
- Document and report observations and treatment to health care staff
- Inventory and replace medical supplies and clean equipment
- Where you could work
- Ambulance services, Local government, Hospitals, Outpatient care centers
- Schedule
- Most EMTs work full time and some work more than 40 hours a week. Schedules include nights, weekends and holidays, and shifts can run 12, 18 or 24 hours.
- Physical demands
- Physically strenuous: lots of kneeling, bending and lifting while caring for and moving patients, indoors and outdoors in all weather. EMTs have one of the highest injury and illness rates of all occupations.
- Patient contact
- High
3.How to get there
Education, training, exams and licensing
- Typical training
- Certificate + state requirements
- Training time
- 3–6 months
1.Finish high school and get CPR/BLS certified
Applicants usually need a high school diploma or equivalent and CPR and basic life support (BLS) certification, though requirements vary by state.
2.Complete a state-approved EMT course
EMT courses typically take less than a year. For national certification the course must meet the National EMS Education Standards and be completed within the past two years.
3.Pass the National Registry EMT certification exam
The NREMT exam is computer adaptive (70 to 120 questions, 2 hours). You also need a state-approved BLS skills competency check, which some states build into the course.
4.Get your state license
All states require EMTs to be licensed. Most states require certification, such as from the National Registry (NREMT); others require passing an equivalent state exam. Some states set a minimum age or require a background check. Employers typically require a driver's license.
Exams and credentials
- Nationally Registered Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT), from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
Licensing
All states require EMTs to be licensed, and requirements vary. Most states require certification, such as from the National Registry (NREMT); others require passing an equivalent state exam. Some states also set a minimum age or require a background check. Requirements vary by state; check your state EMS office.
Look up your state's license requirements (opens in a new tab)
4.What it costs
Tuition, fees, exams and financial aid
Costs vary by program.
NREMT EMT examination fee: $104 per attempt (nremt.org, read October 2026). State licensing fees are separate.
Grants, loans and work-study can help pay for an eligible program. Start with the FAFSA at studentaid.gov (opens in a new tab), and ask each program what its total cost includes.
5.What you can earn
Starting, median and experienced pay, and where the figures come from
Planning range
$35K–$55K+
Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026
Local wage data isn't loaded yet, so this is a broad planning range, not a wage figure.
A planning range is broad and has no median: it is for planning, not a promise of pay. Starting, median and experienced wages will show here when BLS wage data is loaded.
For reference only (not this page's pay figure): BLS median, May 2025, national: $44,470 a year (source, opens in a new tab).
6.Jobs near you
Coming soon
We plan to show local openings here once a job-data source is connected. Until then, you can search current listings yourself.
7.Career ladder
Next certifications and roles
- Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)(this career)
- Paramedic(Paramedic programs require EMT certification first; most lead to a nondegree award or an associate's degree.)
- Firefighter / Fire Medic or other emergency-service role(A separate career with its own hiring process: firefighters must pass written and physical tests, complete interviews and train at a fire academy (BLS). Many departments want EMT or paramedic certification; requirements vary by state or locality.)
8.Your wealth path
From your first paycheck to owning and investing
Train
Certify
Get hired
Advance
Build wealth
Own / invest
Estimated take-home pay
Low end of the planning range: $35,000 a year
About $29,161 a year ($2,430 a month)
High end of the planning range: $55,000 a year
About $44,231 a year ($3,686 a month)
Estimate only. Assumptions: tax year 2026, single filer, the standard deduction, federal income tax, FICA at 7.65%, and a default state income tax rate of 5.00% (choose a state above to use its rate). No retirement contributions or other deductions. The Paycheck calculator uses the same engine.
9.Find training
Free U.S. Department of Labor resources. We don't list or rank schools.
Registered apprenticeships exist for some of these roles. For licensed careers, check that a program meets your state's licensing rules.
10.Compare careers
Save this career and put it beside others
Sources
- Pay: Planning range from the Wealth Playbook medical careers guide, 2026 (a planning range, not wage data).
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: EMTs and Paramedics (opens in a new tab)
- O*NET OnLine: 29-2042.00 Emergency Medical Technicians (opens in a new tab)
- NREMT: EMT Certification - Full Education Program pathway (opens in a new tab)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Firefighters (opens in a new tab)