Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Illinois, emergency medical technicians earn $42,260 at the median, or about $20.32 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $135K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $45,029 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 48.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in Illinois?
About emergency medical technicians
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Illinois
Emergency medical technicians pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 49.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $135K or more, a $99K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians salary by metro in Illinois
5 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockford | $46K | +8% | 70 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $44K | +4% | 5,610 |
| Bloomington | $41K | -3% | 80 |
| Springfield | $39K | -9% | 110 |
| Peoria | $38K | -10% | 450 |
Compare to other states
Track emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 49.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,185/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 64% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Illinois pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Illinois?
The median is $42,260 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,420, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $135,490. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,825/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 49.8% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (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 $45,029 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.