Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, emergency medical technicians earn $45,190 at the median, or about $21.73 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.6), so that salary is closer to $41,611 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,512/month, about 80.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles’s Regional Price Parity (108.6). 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
Emergency medical technicians pay in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,512/month, which is 80.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.6), 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $39K | $36K |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $45K | $40K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $51K | $45K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $44K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $15K 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 80.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,512/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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,245/month. At HUD’s $2,512/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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $42K — below the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median is $45,190 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,420, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $51,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,112/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,512/month, which eats 80.7% 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 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has a Regional Price Parity of 108.6 (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 $41,611 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.