Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, emergency medical technicians earn $45,090 at the median, or about $21.68 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $69K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $39,702 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,601/month, about 83.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Emergency medical technicians pay in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,601/month, which is 83.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency medical technicians in metros near Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $39K | $36K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $51K | $45K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $44K | $41K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $44K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $69K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Emergency Medical Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $66K | +49% | 560 |
| Alaska | $57K | +29% | 310 |
| New Jersey | $54K | +21% | 6,120 |
| Washington | $53K | +18% | 2,940 |
| Rhode Island | $51K | +15% | 430 |
| Connecticut | $51K | +14% | 2,190 |
| Massachusetts | $50K | +13% | 4,550 |
| Oregon | $49K | +11% | 1,970 |
| New York | $48K | +9% | 14,840 |
| Maryland | $48K | +8% | 3,400 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +8% | 3,160 |
| Wyoming | $47K | +6% | 400 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +5% | 1,010 |
| Delaware | $47K | +5% | 950 |
| District of Columbia | $47K | +5% | 370 |
| California | $46K | +4% | 21,880 |
| Maine | $46K | +4% | 1,110 |
| Colorado | $46K | +3% | 3,060 |
| Vermont | $46K | +3% | 790 |
| Georgia | $46K | +2% | 6,260 |
| Virginia | $45K | +2% | 4,490 |
| North Carolina | $44K | -0% | 6,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $43K | -3% | 10,160 |
| Wisconsin | $43K | -3% | 3,930 |
| Indiana | $43K | -4% | 4,160 |
| Illinois | $42K | -5% | 7,840 |
| Missouri | $42K | -5% | 2,800 |
| Nebraska | $42K | -6% | 540 |
| Iowa | $41K | -9% | 1,510 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -9% | 4,010 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -9% | 3,860 |
| Ohio | $40K | -10% | 5,560 |
| Florida | $40K | -10% | 6,060 |
| Michigan | $40K | -10% | 4,230 |
| North Dakota | $40K | -11% | 760 |
| Arizona | $40K | -11% | 3,970 |
| Utah | $39K | -12% | 1,280 |
| Idaho | $39K | -13% | 780 |
| Alabama | $38K | -15% | 2,020 |
| Nevada | $38K | -16% | 1,530 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -16% | 1,260 |
| Texas | $37K | -16% | 12,770 |
| South Dakota | $37K | -17% | 600 |
| Kentucky | $37K | -17% | 2,770 |
| Mississippi | $37K | -18% | 1,390 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -19% | 1,120 |
| Montana | $36K | -19% | 860 |
| Louisiana | $36K | -19% | 2,450 |
| Kansas | $36K | -20% | 1,510 |
| West Virginia | $34K | -23% | 900 |
| Oklahoma | $34K | -23% | 2,410 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 83.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,331/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 112% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $40K — below the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $45,090 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,850, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $68,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,106/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 83.7% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median emergency medical technicians salary is worth about $39,702 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.