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Occupation Profile
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Occupation: Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics Change Occupation
State: Pennsylvania Change State
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Wages  |  Employment Trends  |  Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities  |  Tasks & Activities
Tools & Technology  |  Education & Training  |  Related Occupations
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EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND PARAMEDICS: PENNSYLVANIA

Occupation Description

Assess injuries, administer emergency medical care, and extricate trapped individuals. Transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.


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Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
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State and National Wages

Location Pay
Period		 2008
10% 25% Median 75% 90%
United States Hourly $9.08 $11.13 $14.10 $18.28 $23.77
Yearly $18,900 $23,200 $29,300 $38,000 $49,400
Pennsylvania Hourly $8.77 $10.53 $13.13 $16.77 $21.52
Yearly $18,200 $21,900 $27,300 $34,900 $44,800
Annual Wages for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics

United States - $49,400 United States - $29,300 United States - $18,900 Pennsylvania - $44,800 Pennsylvania - $27,300 Pennsylvania - $18,200
  • High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
  • Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
  • Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Hourly Wages for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics

United States - $23.77 United States - $14.1 United States - $9.08 Pennsylvania - $21.52 Pennsylvania - $13.13 Pennsylvania - $8.77
  • High is the wage at which 90% of workers earn less and 10% earn more.
  • Middle is the wage at which 50% of workers earn less and 50% earn more.
  • Low is the wage at which 10% of workers earn less and 90% earn more.

Occupation Wages FAQs

Median Wage by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey
State Data Source: Pennsylvania Workforce Statistics

State and National Trends

United States Employment Percent
Change		 Job Openings 1
2008 2018
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics 210,700 229,700 +9% 6,200
Pennsylvania Employment Percent
Change		 Job Openings 1
2006 2016
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics 13,750 16,300 +19% 400
1Job Openings refers to the average annual job openings due to growth and net replacement.

Note: The data for the State Employment Trends and the National Employment Trends are not directly comparable. The projections period for state data is 2006-2016, while the projections period for national data is 2008-2018.

Occupation Trends FAQs

Employment Trends by Occupation Across States
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National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
State Data Source: Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information & Analysis

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The most important knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are listed for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

Knowledge:

  • Medicine and Dentistry - Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Skills:

  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • 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.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities:

  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Source: Occupational Information Network: Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

Tasks and Activities

Occupation specific tasks and the most important generalized work activities are listed for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

Occupation Specific Tasks:

  • Administer drugs, orally or by injection, and perform intravenous procedures under a physician's direction.
  • Administer first-aid treatment and life-support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital setting.
  • 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.
  • Communicate with dispatchers and treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, and 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.
  • Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members and police and fire department personnel.
  • Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease and report case to proper authorities.
  • Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.
  • Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.
  • Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first-aid equipment and supplies.
  • Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs and treatment.
  • Operate equipment such as electrocardiograms (EKGs), external defibrillators and 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.

Generalized Work Activities:

  • Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Detailed Work Activities:

  • administer injections
  • administer medications or treatments
  • analyze patient activity
  • apply appropriate physical restraint
  • communicate technical information
  • drive emergency rescue or firefighting vehicles
  • fit medical supportive devices
  • follow infectious materials procedures
  • follow life support procedures
  • follow patient care procedures
  • follow police or emergency radio regulations
  • identify body response variations
  • inventory medical supplies or instruments
  • lift or transport ill or injured patients
  • make presentations on health or medical issues
  • observe patient condition
  • obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
  • operate emergency fire or rescue equipment
  • prepare patient reports
  • recognize physical or emotional abuse
  • record medical history or data
  • set up patient care equipment
  • take vital signs
  • understand properties or composition of drugs
  • understand technical operating, service or repair manuals
  • use emergency medical procedures
  • use emergency medical treatment procedures
  • use first aid procedures
  • use hazardous materials information
  • use health or sanitation standards
  • use knowledge of investigation techniques
  • use knowledge of medical terminology
  • use local or regional geographical knowledge to transportation
  • use rescue procedures
  • use sanitation practices in health care settings
  • use two-way radio or mobile phone
  • work with persons with mental disabilities or illnesses

Source: Occupational Information Network: Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

Tools and Technology

Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics  View Detailed Report

Tools:

  • Emergency medical services suction units or accessories - Airway suction units, Battery-powered portable suction units, Fixed-suction equipment
  • Emergency response litters or stretchers or accessories - Multi-level wheeled cots, Stair chairs, Stretchers
  • Hypodermic injection apparatus or accessories - Epi-pens, Preload syringes, Syringes
  • Laryngoscopes or accessories - Curved adult blades, Curved pediatric blades, Laryngoscopes, Straight adult blades, Straight pediatric blades
  • Spine boards - Extrication devices, Full-spine immobilization devices, Half-spine immobilization devices, Spinal immobilization devices

Technology:

  • Information retrieval or search software - Epocrates software, HyperTox, Informed EMS Field Guide, Iterum eMedic software, Medical Wizards ER & ICU ToolBox
  • Medical software - MedDataSolutions Regist*r

Source: Occupational Information Network: Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics.

Education and Training

Occupation: Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
Most Common Educational/Training Level: Postsecondary vocational award
Related Instructional Programs:

  • Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)
  • Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic)
Distribution of Educational Attainment
Occupation Percent of employees aged 25 to 44 in the occupation whose highest level of educational attainment is
Less than high school diploma High school diploma or equivalent Some college, no degree Associate's degree Bachelor's degree Master's degree Doctoral or professional degree
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics 1.2% 17.6% 44.7% 21% 12.5% 1.7% 1.2%
Health Technologists and Technicians 1.9% 19.6% 29.5% 25.6% 19.1% 2.3% 2.1%
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical 1.2% 10.4% 15.4% 15.4% 20.7% 11.6% 25.2%
Total, All Occupations 10.7% 27.6% 20.6% 8.9% 19.4% 8.3% 4.5%

Find colleges, training schools and instructional programs for this occupation.

Find education and training programs where you can earn a certificate, diploma, or award in less than 2 years with the Short-Term Training Finder.

Access additional Education Resources in the Career Resource Library.

Use the Financial Aid Advisor to help find funds for financing education.

WIA Eligible Training Provider List: http://www.pacareerlink.state.pa.us/homeframe.asp?function=trainprov

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections (Education/Training Level, Educational Attainment); National Center for Education Statistics (Typical Instructional Programs)

Related Occupation Profiles
Occupations with similar skill requirements

Web Resources

The following resources are related to occupations in the job family
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Health Technologists and Technicians
Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

Health Diagnosing and Treating Practitioners
Health Technologists and Technicians
Other Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations


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