Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA, emergency medical technicians earn $39,310 at the median, or about $18.9 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.8), so that salary is closer to $36,131 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,124/month, about 115.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $39K get you in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Maria-Santa Barbara’s Regional Price Parity (108.8). 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
Pay for emergency medical technicians in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,124/month, which is 114.1% 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 108.8), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for emergency medical technicianss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency medical technicians in metros near Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $45K | $40K |
| 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, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $39K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $14K 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 |
| Michigan | $40K | -10% | 4,230 |
| Florida | $40K | -10% | 6,060 |
| 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 states
Track emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Santa Maria-Santa Barbara numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $39K, rent takes 114.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,124/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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,359/month. At HUD’s $3,124/month FMR, rent would take 132% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $39K here vs. $44K nationally.
How does Santa Maria-Santa Barbara compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara pays $39K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.8), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA?
The median is $39,310 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,310, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $53,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $39K enough to live in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,739/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,124/month, which eats 114.1% 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 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara?
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara has a Regional Price Parity of 108.8 (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 $36,131 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.