Paramedics Salary
The median pay for a paramedics in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH is $66,460/year ($31.95/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $62K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $61,384 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 67.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $66K actually covers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). 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 paramedics
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Paramedics pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton tracks closely to the national median, $66K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 10% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 68.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for paramedics in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | $64K | $63K |
| Barnstable Town | $74K | $75K |
| Pittsfield | $65K | $68K |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $62K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level paramedics (10th percentile) start around $62K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Paramedics pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Paramedics salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $104K | +72% | 2,110 |
| New Jersey | $87K | +43% | 540 |
| Hawaii | $81K | +34% | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $79K | +30% | 90 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +28% | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +26% | 1,690 |
| Oregon | $75K | +23% | 1,210 |
| California | $75K | +23% | 5,190 |
| New York | $73K | +21% | 6,110 |
| Alaska | $72K | +19% | 310 |
| Maryland | $67K | +10% | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $66K | +9% | 1,860 |
| Utah | $65K | +8% | 960 |
| Delaware | $64K | +6% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | +6% | 420 |
| Wyoming | $64K | +6% | 230 |
| Colorado | $64K | +5% | 2,110 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | +5% | 160 |
| Maine | $63K | +4% | 470 |
| North Dakota | $62K | +3% | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | +1% | 4,750 |
| Illinois | $61K | +0% | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $61K | -0% | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $60K | -0% | 1,960 |
| Idaho | $60K | -0% | 440 |
| Vermont | $60K | -0% | 190 |
| Indiana | $60K | -0% | 2,680 |
| Florida | $60K | -1% | 6,970 |
| Wisconsin | $60K | -1% | 1,990 |
| Nevada | $59K | -2% | 950 |
| Missouri | $59K | -2% | 3,300 |
| Arizona | $59K | -3% | 2,200 |
| Tennessee | $58K | -5% | 3,710 |
| Georgia | $58K | -5% | 3,250 |
| Texas | $58K | -5% | 8,410 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -5% | 5,660 |
| Nebraska | $56K | -7% | 490 |
| Louisiana | $56K | -8% | 2,040 |
| New Mexico | $56K | -8% | 810 |
| Mississippi | $55K | -10% | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $54K | -12% | 2,250 |
| Michigan | $52K | -14% | 2,750 |
| Ohio | $51K | -15% | 3,600 |
| Kansas | $51K | -16% | 1,030 |
| Montana | $51K | -16% | 300 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -17% | 1,170 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -18% | 1,800 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -19% | 280 |
| Alabama | $49K | -20% | 1,700 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -20% | 1,090 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -23% | 1,590 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track paramedics salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a paramedic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 68.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for paramedics in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new paramedics typically earn — is $62K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,045/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is paramedic a high-paying job in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $66K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for paramedics?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do paramedics make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $66,460 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $61,720, and experienced paramedics can clear $84,560. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,318/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 68.1% 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 paramedics salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (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 paramedics salary is worth about $61,384 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do paramedics 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.