Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Salem, OR, emergency medical technicians earn $50,800 at the median, or about $24.42 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $49,011 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 47% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for emergency medical technicians, local pay runs about 14% 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 $1,560/month, which is 48.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency medical technicians in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $52K | $49K |
| Medford | $48K | $48K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $43K | $43K |
| Bend | $37K | $35K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $26K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 48.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/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 Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,164/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Salem?
Local pay is 14% above the national median — $51K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Salem pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $49K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Salem, OR?
The median is $50,800 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,060, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $62,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,245/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 48.1% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (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 $49,011 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.