Emergency Medical Technicians Salary
In Virginia, emergency medical technicians earn $45,420 at the median, or about $21.84 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $59K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $47,916 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 53.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $45K get you in Virginia?
About emergency medical technicians
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What this looks like in Virginia
Emergency medical technicians pay in Virginia 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 $1,646/month, which is 54.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% 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, Virginia
Entry-level emergency medical technicians (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $59K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Medical Technicians salary by metro in Virginia
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $48K | +6% | 100 |
| Richmond | $47K | +4% | N/A |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $46K | +1% | 690 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $43K | -5% | 130 |
| Roanoke | $42K | -8% | 170 |
| Charlottesville | $40K | -12% | 130 |
Compare to other states
Track emergency medical technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency medical technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 54.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency medical technicians typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,192/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 75% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $44K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for emergency medical technicians?
Virginia pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $44K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency medical technicians make in Virginia?
The median is $45,420 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,540, and experienced emergency medical technicians can clear $59,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,037/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 54.2% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $47,916 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.