Median Annual Wage: $31,700
Education: Post-secondary certificate (43%); Some college, no degree (30%); Associate's degree (12%)
Projected Growth: Much faster than average (22% or higher)
Related Job Titles: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT); Paramedic; EMT/Dispatcher (Emergency Medical Technician/Dispatcher); First Responder; Flight Paramedic; Emergency Medical Technician, Basic (EMT, B); EMT Intermediate (Emergency Medical Technician, Intermediate); EMT, Paramedic (Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic); Emergency Medical Technician/Driver (EMT/DRIVER); Multi Care Technician (Multi Care Tech)
Browse Job Listings
Browse Schools
Source: O*NET OnLine information for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.
More Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Careers
- Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments.
- Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as stomach suction, airway management, or heart monitoring, during ambulance ride.
- Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.
- Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
- Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
- Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease and report case to proper authorities.
- Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures under a physician's direction.
- Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
- Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
- Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment and replenish first aid equipment and supplies.
- Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, or to receive instructions for further treatment.
- Coordinate with treatment center personnel to obtain patients' vital statistics and medical history, to determine the circumstances of the emergency, and to administer emergency treatment.
- Comfort and reassure patients.
- Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.
Source: O*NET OnLine information for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.
- Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Source: O*NET OnLine information for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.