Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Tennessee, emergency medical technicians earn $40,330 at the median, or about $19.39 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.78), which stretches that salary to about $44,921 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,215/month, about 41.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Tennessee. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $40K actually covers in Tennessee, month by month
About emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in Tennessee
Emergency medical technicians pay in Tennessee tracks closely to the national median, $40K locally vs. $44K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,215/month, which is 42.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.78 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Tennessee
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $30K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians salary by metro in Tennessee
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morristown | $51K | +26% | 100 |
| Clarksville | $48K | +20% | 120 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $48K | +19% | 930 |
| Chattanooga | $41K | +3% | 270 |
| Jackson | $39K | -3% | 120 |
| Memphis | $39K | -4% | 860 |
| Knoxville | $38K | -5% | 560 |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $37K | -9% | 220 |
| Johnson City | $37K | -9% | 120 |
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Track emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Tennessee numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Tennessee?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 42.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,215/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 Tennessee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,160/month. At HUD’s $1,215/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Tennessee?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $40K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Tennessee compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Tennessee pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Tennessee?
The median is $40,330 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,720, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $59,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in Tennessee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,870/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,215/month, which eats 42.3% 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 Tennessee?
Tennessee has a Regional Price Parity of 89.78 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median emergency medical technicians salary is worth about $44,921 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.