EMT’s provide one of the most important services to society, and are first responders to incidents where individuals are injured and their lives may be on the line. These individuals are highly trained in providing medical care to individuals that is designed to stabilize the individual and to keep them as comfortable as possible until they reached the hospital, where medical doctors can take over and decide the most appropriate medical action to be taken. These individuals have character traits that many in other professions do not have, due to their ability to witness dramatic events and to remain calm as they administer medical attention to individuals in jeopardy. What makes these individuals special is that they must be willing to respond to emergencies at any time of the day and at any location within their service area, even if the environment that they are entering is filled with hostile individuals. In order to become one of these professionals, one must undergo intensive training in medical procedures such as CPR, defibrillation, ambulance driving, and the treatment of all manner of injuries.

The salaries of these professionals can very widely, due to the fact that different areas of the nation have different pay rates for these individuals. The pay that EMTs make can very widely from city to city as well, due to the varied nature of the services that are needed in different metropolitan areas. Another factor that may influence the pay that it received by these individuals is their educational level, job performance, and their years of experience in the field. Research and analysis has revealed that those individuals who are employed in areas with high violent crime rates, usually receive the highest pay.

EMTs who are employed in many areas of the southern United States usually receive the lowest pay of all of these professionals. In some small Southern towns these individuals may receive as little as $6-$8 an hour, with very few job benefits. In larger metropolitan areas of the South, the salaries enjoyed by these professionals increases dramatically, with some of these professionals making as much as $45,000 annually. In all probability those individuals working in smaller towns make smaller salaries, due to the smaller budgets of the cities, as well as lower rates of activity. In smaller towns it is not uncommon for EMTs to go a week or more without any emergency calls to respond to, differing from larger southern cities.

Throughout the United States the average salary of EMTs vary greatly. In northern metropolitan areas these professionals routinely make salaries over $45,000 annually, and experienced personnel can draw much greater salaries. In general most of these individuals make between $12,000 and $40,000 annually, with the southern states having the lowest salaries and those employed in the West and Northeast receiving the greatest annual salaries. Much of the salary difference between these areas can be attributed to the differing levels of training required as well as the level of activity experienced by the personnel.