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Paramedics: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 29-2043.00 · EMT and Paramedic Classes
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Paramedics, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for PARAMEDIC (Alternate Title: Health Care Specialist) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| PARAMEDIC (Alternate Title: Health Care Specialist) | 0543 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What paramedics earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for paramedics ($104,310) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($29,960), across the 52 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $104,310 | $50.15 | 2,110 |
| New Jersey | $86,630 | $41.65 | 540 |
| Hawaii | $81,280 | $39.08 | 140 |
| District of Columbia | $78,550 | $37.77 | 90 |
| Connecticut | $77,480 | $37.25 | 1,000 |
| Minnesota | $76,300 | $36.68 | 1,690 |
| Oregon | $74,840 | $35.98 | 1,210 |
| California | $74,590 | $35.86 | 5,190 |
| New York | $73,200 | $35.19 | 6,110 |
| Alaska | $71,860 | $34.55 | 310 |
| Maryland | $66,660 | $32.05 | 1,910 |
| Massachusetts | $66,340 | $31.89 | 1,860 |
| Utah | $65,420 | $31.45 | 960 |
| Delaware | $64,240 | $30.88 | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $64,210 | $30.87 | 420 |
| Wyoming | $64,040 | $30.79 | 230 |
| Colorado | $63,910 | $30.73 | 2,110 |
| Rhode Island | $63,550 | $30.55 | 160 |
| Maine | $63,050 | $30.31 | 470 |
| North Dakota | $62,320 | $29.96 | 220 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,000 | $29.33 | 4,750 |
| Illinois | $60,660 | $29.16 | 3,890 |
| Iowa | $60,590 | $29.13 | 1,170 |
| Virginia | $60,480 | $29.08 | 1,960 |
| Idaho | $60,380 | $29.03 | 440 |
| Vermont | $60,360 | $29.02 | 190 |
| Indiana | $60,320 | $29.00 | 2,680 |
| Florida | $60,140 | $28.91 | 6,970 |
| Wisconsin | $59,710 | $28.71 | 1,990 |
| Nevada | $59,280 | $28.50 | 950 |
| Missouri | $59,180 | $28.45 | 3,300 |
| Arizona | $58,600 | $28.17 | 2,200 |
| Tennessee | $57,690 | $27.74 | 3,710 |
| Georgia | $57,660 | $27.72 | 3,250 |
| Texas | $57,500 | $27.65 | 8,410 |
| North Carolina | $57,320 | $27.56 | 5,660 |
| Nebraska | $56,230 | $27.04 | 490 |
| Louisiana | $56,050 | $26.95 | 2,040 |
| New Mexico | $55,530 | $26.70 | 810 |
| Mississippi | $54,630 | $26.27 | 1,150 |
| South Carolina | $53,550 | $25.74 | 2,250 |
| Michigan | $52,080 | $25.04 | 2,750 |
| Ohio | $51,300 | $24.67 | 3,600 |
| Kansas | $51,020 | $24.53 | 1,030 |
| Montana | $50,890 | $24.47 | 300 |
| Arkansas | $50,310 | $24.19 | 1,170 |
| Kentucky | $49,890 | $23.99 | 1,800 |
| South Dakota | $48,830 | $23.48 | 280 |
| Alabama | $48,540 | $23.34 | 1,700 |
| West Virginia | $48,460 | $23.30 | 1,090 |
| Oklahoma | $46,790 | $22.50 | 1,590 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,960 | $14.40 | 1,390 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations · EMT and Paramedic Classes at schools and training centers
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).