Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Rhode Island, emergency medical technicians earn $51,290 at the median, or about $24.66 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.77), that's roughly $50,398 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,544/month, about 46.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Rhode Island. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $51K get you in Rhode Island?
About emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in Rhode Island
Rhode Island sits well above the national pay line for emergency medical technicians, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,544/month, which is 44.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.77) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rhode Island
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians salary by metro in Rhode Island
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence-Warwick | $47K | -8% | 710 |
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Rhode Island numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rhode Island?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 44.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,544/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Rhode Island?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,362/month. At HUD’s $1,544/month FMR, rent would take 65% 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 Rhode Island?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $51K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Rhode Island compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Rhode Island pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.77), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Rhode Island?
The median is $51,290 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,360, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $61,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Rhode Island?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,475/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,544/month, which eats 44.4% 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has a Regional Price Parity of 101.77 (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 $50,398 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.