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Boston Career Explorer

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

Emergency Medical Technicians

Assess injuries and illnesses and administer basic emergency medical care. May transport injured or sick persons to medical facilities.

Also called: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), First Responder

Median pay in Greater Boston
$50,560
$24.31/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
3,410
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+2.0%
320 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Postsecondary nondegree award

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$41,080$47,670$50,560$54,590$70,320

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure31 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 27
  • Language-model AIOE 27
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 38

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Emergency medical technicians have lower AI exposure, and observed AI use in this work is little or none. The job is mostly hands-on: assessing injuries and illnesses, giving basic emergency care, and transporting patients. AI tools may help at the edges, but they cannot do this in-person care.

Likely to change

  • Recording and sharing patient information
  • Help with scheduling and dispatch information

Still relies on people

  • Hands-on emergency care at the scene
  • Assessing and calming sick or injured people

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Paramedics

    Paramedics use the same patient assessment and emergency care skills, with advanced procedures added, for higher pay ($66,460) and a similar training level.

    Pay difference
    +$15,900 median
    AI exposure
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    MA growth
    +2.0%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

  • Firefighters

    Firefighters give first aid, CPR, and emergency medical care, so your skills carry over. The job pays $73,990 and includes long-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$23,430 median
    AI exposure
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    MA growth
    +4.4%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

  • Surgical Technologists

    Surgical technologists use clinical care skills and calm teamwork in an operating room. The job pays $81,500 and has lower AI exposure.

    Pay difference
    +$30,940 median
    AI exposure
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    MA growth
    +1.9%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

4 programs near Boston

Related occupations

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