Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Texas, emergency medical technicians earn $37,260 at the median, or about $17.91 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $40,726 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 52.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $37K get you in Texas?
About emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in Texas
Pay for emergency medical technicians in Texas runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $44K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 53.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for emergency medical technicianss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $37K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians salary by metro in Texas
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $46K | +23% | 880 |
| College Station-Bryan | $44K | +19% | 50 |
| Midland | $44K | +18% | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $39K | +4% | 2,680 |
| Abilene | $38K | +3% | 100 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $38K | +2% | 3,000 |
| Sherman-Denison | $38K | +2% | 90 |
| Tyler | $37K | +0% | 140 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $37K | -0% | 1,100 |
| Laredo | $37K | -1% | 130 |
| Wichita Falls | $36K | -2% | 60 |
| Amarillo | $36K | -3% | 160 |
| Corpus Christi | $36K | -3% | 280 |
| Waco | $36K | -5% | 90 |
| Lubbock | $35K | -6% | 180 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $35K | -7% | 230 |
| Eagle Pass | $34K | -9% | 80 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen | $34K | -9% | 100 |
| El Paso | $34K | -9% | 470 |
| Victoria | $34K | -9% | 60 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $34K | -10% | 590 |
| Longview | $32K | -13% | 160 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Texas numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $37K, rent takes 53.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,819/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 78% 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 Texas?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $37K here vs. $44K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Texas compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Texas pays $37K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $41K — below the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Texas?
The median is $37,260 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,320, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $52,160. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $37K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,665/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 53.1% 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 Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (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 $40,726 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.