Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Arizona, emergency medical technicians earn $39,500 at the median, or about $18.99 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $51K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $40,971 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,437/month, about 52.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $40K get you in Arizona?
About emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in Arizona
Pay for emergency medical technicians in Arizona runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,437/month, which is 52.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for emergency medical technicianss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $51K or more, a $17K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians salary by metro in Arizona
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $43K | +10% | 180 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $41K | +5% | 100 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $40K | +0% | 2,840 |
| Tucson | $39K | -2% | 360 |
| Flagstaff | $38K | -4% | 90 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas | $38K | -5% | 60 |
Compare to other states
Track emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arizona numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arizona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 52.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency medical technicians in Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,032/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 71% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is emergency medical technician a high-paying job in Arizona?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $40K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Arizona pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Arizona?
The median is $39,500 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $33,860, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $50,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,732/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 52.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a emergency medical technicians salary go in Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median emergency medical technicians salary is worth about $40,971 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do emergency medical technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.