United States · Pay by job · Healthcare Practitioners

Paramedic salary and take-home pay

The typical US paramedic earns $60,600 a year, or $29.13 an hour (BLS, May 2025). In Texas, where the median for this job is $57,500, a single filer keeps about $48,381 a year after federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.

BLS title: Paramedics (SOC 29-2043). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025.

How much does a paramedic earn?

Paramedic pay in the US: the 10th to 90th percentile
Percentile Bar A year An hour
10th $44,230 $21.27
25th $49,660 $23.88
Median $60,600 $29.13
75th $73,470 $35.32
90th $84,850 $40.80

The middle half of people in this job earn $49,660 to $73,470 a year, and about 100,610 people do it across the US (BLS, May 2025).

Take-home pay tool

The 10th percentile is where pay starts for most people in this job; the 90th, near the top.

Paramedic · Texas · single · median

$48,381.25 a year after tax

$4,031.77 a month · $1,860.82 a paycheck (every two weeks)

Pay and taxes for the year
Pay before tax$57,500.00
Federal income tax−$4,720.00
Social Security and Medicare−$4,398.75
Texas tax and payroll contributionsnone
Take-home pay$48,381.25

Pay: the median for this job in Texas, $57,500 a year (BLS). One job, standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, the year’s tax spread over 26 paychecks.

What does a paramedic take home at each pay point?

A single filer on the national figures, paid every two weeks, with nothing taken before tax:

Paramedic take-home pay at each percentile, 2026
Pay a yearTexasCaliforniaNew York
10th $44,230 $37,719$36,426$35,705
25th $49,660 $42,082$40,484$39,751
Median $60,600 $50,872$48,475$47,904
75th $73,470 $60,516$57,018$56,797
90th $84,850 $68,522$63,917$64,139

Take-home after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax for 2026. New York is outside New York City.

Where does a paramedic keep the most after tax?

Our 19 states, ranked by take-home pay on each state’s own median for this job (single filer). Only these 19 states have take-home figures so far.

Paramedic: states ranked by take-home pay at the median
RankStateMedian payTake-home
1 Washington $104,310 $80,765
2 New Jersey $86,630 $65,892
3 Alaska $71,860 $59,113
4 California $74,590 $57,702
5 New York $73,200 $56,623
6 New Hampshire $64,210 $53,773
7 Wyoming $64,040 $53,636
8 Florida $60,140 $50,502
9 Nevada $59,280 $49,811
10 Pennsylvania $61,000 $49,278
11 Tennessee $57,690 $48,534
12 Texas $57,500 $48,381
13 Virginia $60,480 $48,112
14 Illinois $60,660 $48,062
15 North Carolina $57,320 $46,458
16 Georgia $57,660 $46,381
17 Ohio $51,300 $42,432
18 Michigan $52,080 $42,064
19 South Dakota $48,830 $41,415

How much does a paramedic earn in each state?

Paramedic median pay and employment in every state and DC (BLS, May 2025)
StateMedian payPeople in the jobTake-home (single)
Alabama $48,540 1,700 not yet
Alaska $71,860 310 $59,113 (#3)
Arizona $58,600 2,200 not yet
Arkansas $50,310 1,170 not yet
California $74,590 5,190 $57,702 (#4)
Colorado $63,910 2,110 not yet
Connecticut $77,480 1,000 not yet
Delaware $64,240 340 not yet
District of Columbia $78,550 90 not yet
Florida $60,140 6,970 $50,502 (#8)
Georgia $57,660 3,250 $46,381 (#16)
Hawaii $81,280 140 not yet
Idaho $60,380 440 not yet
Illinois $60,660 3,890 $48,062 (#14)
Indiana $60,320 2,680 not yet
Iowa $60,590 1,170 not yet
Kansas $51,020 1,030 not yet
Kentucky $49,890 1,800 not yet
Louisiana $56,050 2,040 not yet
Maine $63,050 470 not yet
Maryland $66,660 1,910 not yet
Massachusetts $66,340 1,860 not yet
Michigan $52,080 2,750 $42,064 (#18)
Minnesota $76,300 1,690 not yet
Mississippi $54,630 1,150 not yet
Missouri $59,180 3,300 not yet
Montana $50,890 300 not yet
Nebraska $56,230 490 not yet
Nevada $59,280 950 $49,811 (#9)
New Hampshire $64,210 420 $53,773 (#6)
New Jersey $86,630 540 $65,892 (#2)
New Mexico $55,530 810 not yet
New York $73,200 6,110 $56,623 (#5)
North Carolina $57,320 5,660 $46,458 (#15)
North Dakota $62,320 220 not yet
Ohio $51,300 3,600 $42,432 (#17)
Oklahoma $46,790 1,590 not yet
Oregon $74,840 1,210 not yet
Pennsylvania $61,000 4,750 $49,278 (#10)
Rhode Island $63,550 160 not yet
South Carolina $53,550 2,250 not yet
South Dakota $48,830 280 $41,415 (#19)
Tennessee $57,690 3,710 $48,534 (#11)
Texas $57,500 8,410 $48,381 (#12)
Utah $65,420 960 not yet
Vermont $60,360 190 not yet
Virginia $60,480 1,960 $48,112 (#13)
Washington $104,310 2,110 $80,765 (#1)
West Virginia $48,460 1,090 not yet
Wisconsin $59,710 1,990 not yet
Wyoming $64,040 230 $53,636 (#7)

Median yearly pay for this job in each state, from BLS. Take-home and its rank are for the 19 states with a take-home engine so far. Each linked state shows its highest-paying jobs after tax.

What is the job outlook for a paramedic?

BLS expects jobs as a paramedic to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,300 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).

Job growth, 2025 to 2035
+5.7%
Openings a year
about 4,300
Usual education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Work experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None

The 10 healthcare practitioners jobs closest in pay to a paramedic:

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What else can I work out?

Where do these figures come from?

Pay is the BLS estimate for all employers in May 2025 (the latest), and the outlook is from BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Your own pay depends on your employer, area and experience. Take-home is our estimate for 2026: one job, the standard deduction, nothing taken before tax, from the same engine as our paycheck calculator.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables (BLS); Employment Projections tables (BLS). This site is independent and not part of the BLS.

Questions about paramedic pay

How much does a paramedic make an hour?

The median is $29.13 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.88 to $35.32, and the top 10% earn $40.80 or more.

Which state pays a paramedic the most?

Among the 50 states and DC, Washington has the highest median for this job: $104,310 a year (BLS). After tax, of the 19 states we cover, Washington leaves the most: $80,765 a year for a single filer on its median of $104,310.

What is a paramedic’s take-home pay?

On the national median of $60,600, a single filer keeps about $50,872 a year in Texas (no state income tax), $48,475 in California and $47,904 in New York outside New York City, after federal income tax, Social Security, Medicare and state tax. Pick your state in the tool above.

What education do you need to be a paramedic?

BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the usual way in, with less than 5 years of work experience in a related job and no on-the-job training once hired.

Is the number of paramedic jobs growing?

BLS expects jobs as a paramedic to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,300 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).