Occupation · SOC 29-2043
Paramedics
Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.
Median wage
$58,410
$40,130–$82,420
Projected growth
+5.0%
Average growth
Annual openings
510
per year
Employed (US)
99,530
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
561 mapped
Core skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionSpeakingSocial PerceptivenessMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingWriting
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageBiologyPsychology
Technology & tools
Operating system softwareMedical softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite software
Representative tasks
Administer drugs, orally or by injection, or perform intravenous procedures.Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.Comfort and reassure patients.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.Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.Instruct emergency medical response team about emergency interventions to ensure correct application of procedures.Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.Operate equipment, such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators, or bag valve mask resuscitators, in advanced life support environments.Perform emergency cardiac care, such as cardioversion and manual defibrillation.Perform emergency invasive intervention before delivering patient to an acute care facility.Perform emergency pharmacological interventions.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Patient medical histories — collect and record accurately under direct supervision in a pre-hospital emergency setting.Vital signs and baseline assessments — obtain and document following established protocols on active emergency scenes.Neuromuscular and skeletal observations — recognize basic abnormalities using structured assessment checklists during supervised patient encounters.Active listening skills — apply when gathering patient complaints and symptom descriptions under the guidance of a senior paramedic.Medical terminology and documentation — use correctly when entering patient data into electronic medical software on shift.Patient health and medical history forms — review and interpret using standard intake procedures prior to initiating care.Diagnostic patterns — identify common presentations such as respiratory distress or altered consciousness following training protocols.Communication with patients and bystanders — conduct clearly and respectfully to gather situational information at emergency scenes.Operating system and medical software platforms — navigate basic functions to retrieve patient records and log incident reports.Safety and personal protective protocols — follow consistently when responding to emergency calls in high-risk field environments.
developing
Patient assessment findings — analyze and synthesize across neuromuscularskeletal, cardiovascular, and respiratory systems with reduced oversight in the field.Medical histories — obtain independently through structured questioning and observation during time-sensitive pre-hospital emergencies.Critical thinking frameworks — apply routinely to differentiate between possible diagnoses when evaluating patients with complex or overlapping symptoms.Treatment and intervention decisions — execute using clinical judgment aligned with established paramedic scope-of-practice guidelines.Electronic patient care reports — complete accurately and within required timeframes using medical documentation software after each call.Social perceptiveness — employ to detect subtle behavioral or emotional cues that inform patient assessment in diverse community settings.Spinal immobilization and musculoskeletal stabilization techniques — perform correctly using approved equipment during trauma responses.Medication administration protocols — follow with growing proficiency, monitoring patient responses and adjusting care within approved standing orders.Inter-agency communication — conduct clearly via radio and written handoff reports when transferring patient care to receiving hospital staff.Continuing education materials and clinical guidelines — read and comprehend independently to stay current with evolving pre-hospital care standards.
proficient
Complex patient diagnoses — formulate autonomously by integrating physical examination findings, medical histories, and diagnostic indicators across a full range of emergency presentations.Neuromuscular and skeletal system dysfunction — evaluate systematically and accurately in the field using advanced assessment techniques without supervisory input.Non-routine clinical scenarios — manage independently, applying inductive and deductive reasoning to determine safe and effective treatment pathways.Patient care documentation — produce comprehensive, legally defensible written reports in medical software following each call in compliance with regulatory standards.Critical interventions — perform under pressure across cardiac, trauma, obstetric, and pediatric emergencies with demonstrated autonomy and technical precision.Patient and family communication — deliver clear, empathetic explanations of conditions and treatment plans while managing emotional dynamics at emergency scenes.Quality assurance reviews — conduct on completed patient care reports, identifying documentation gaps and clinical decision points for improvement.Medical and biological knowledge — apply at an advanced level to anticipate disease progression and guide pre-hospital treatment priorities.Interdisciplinary coordination — lead seamlessly with hospital emergency teams, law enforcement, and fire services during multi-agency mass-casualty incidents.Technology platforms including spreadsheet and office suite software — use proficiently to compile call data, track trends, and prepare operational reports.
advanced
Clinical practice standards and paramedic protocols — develop and implement at the organizational level, shaping scope-of-practice policies across an EMS agency.Emerging paramedic professionals — mentor and evaluate systematically, designing structured field training programs aligned with national certification competencies.Patient outcome data — analyze across the organization using medical and spreadsheet software to identify systemic care gaps and drive evidence-based improvements.Organizational preparedness strategy — lead the design and execution of large-scale mass-casualty and disaster response plans for regional EMS systems.Continuing education and in-service training curricula — author and deliver using presentation and word processing software to elevate agency-wide clinical competency.Inter-agency relationships with hospitals, public health authorities, and regulatory bodies — cultivate and sustain to ensure coordinated, high-quality community emergency care.Complex ethical and clinical judgment dilemmas — resolve at the leadership level, setting precedents that guide frontline paramedic decision-making across the agency.Quality improvement and accreditation processes — oversee comprehensively, leveraging information retrieval software and data analytics to meet or exceed regulatory benchmarks.Workforce resilience and psychological safety — champion through policy development and peer support program leadership, addressing stress and burnout in high-stakes EMS environments.Strategic resource allocation including staffing, equipment, and technology — direct at the executive level to maximize pre-hospital care capacity across service delivery zones.
Also known as
109 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) (Navy AWS)Dental Assistant (Air Force 4Y0X1)Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) Specialist Apprentice (Air Force 1T031)Flight Nurse (Air Force 46F4)Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape (SERE) Specialist Journeyman (Air Force 1T051)Special Reconnaissance Craftsman (Air Force 1Z471)ParamedicEMT (Emergency Medical Technician)Critical Care Flight ParamedicUrology Technician (Navy L25A)Orthopedic Specialist (Army 68B)Emergency Physician (Army 62A)Surgical Technologist (Navy 001372)Pararescue (Air Force 1Z1X1)Medical Corps Officer (Army 62)Special Warfare Operator (Navy SO)Nurse Corps Officer (Army 66)Special Forces Medical Sergeant (Army 18D)Pararescue Manager (Air Force 1Z100)Dental Assistant Helper (Air Force 4Y011)Hospitalman (Navy 003358)Health Services Management Superintendent (Air Force 4A091)Aerospace Physiology Technician (Navy 003462)Aerospace Medical Service Manager (Air Force 4N000)Pararescue Apprentice (Air Force 1Z131)ResponderFire Protection Journeyman (Air Force 3E751)Aeromedical Evacuation (Army 67J)Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) (Navy AWR)First ResponderAerospace Medicine (Army 61N)Health Services Management Craftsman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A071S)Special Reconnaissance Apprentice (Air Force 1Z431)Hospitalman (Navy HN)Fire Protection Craftsman (Air Force 3E771)Emergency Medicine Physician, Emergency Medicine Services Physician (Air Force 44E1E)Special Reconnaissance Superintendent (Air Force 1Z491)General Medical Officer (Army 62Z)Sugical Technologist (Navy L23A)Dental Assistant Journeyman (Air Force 4Y051)