# Paramedics

US SOC code 29-2043. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/29-2043

Also called: EMT-p, EMT-paramedic, Advanced paramedic, Critical care paramedic, Flight paramedic.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **100,610** US paramedics, with median pay of **$60,600** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2021, the May 2025 count is the highest. BLS counts here go back to May 2021, when there were **96,510** jobs. The last full technology era for paramedics: Prehospital telemedicine + real-time hospital notification platforms, 2015 to 2022. Pulsara and real-time notification platforms shifted the Paramedic's role further toward active clinical communication partner with the hospital team, rather than a transporter who called ahead.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2043&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **19.2%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend.

## Paramedics employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1967
- Latest US employment: 100,610 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [1]
- Latest US median pay: $60,600 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Outlook: +5.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [18]

### All 7 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2000 | n/a | $23,000 (estimate) | Est., BLS OOH [2] |
| 2010 | n/a | $30,360 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2021 | 96,510 | $46,770 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [1] |
| 2022 | 95,440 | $49,090 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [1] |
| 2023 | 98,770 | $53,180 | BLS OEWS May 2023 (employment) [1]; BLS OEWS May 2023 (pay) [4] |
| 2024 | 99,530 | $58,410 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [1] |
| 2025 | 100,610 | $60,600 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [1] |

## Sources (50)

### Employment series

1. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

2. [BLS OOH -- EMTs and Paramedics occupation overview (combined group median wage, 2000 edition)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
4. [BLS OEWS May 2023 -- Paramedics (29-2043): median annual wage $53,180 ($25.57/hr)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes292043.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Tool eras

6. [EMS Memorial -- "EMS History": Cincinnati 1865 first civilian ambulance; New York 1868 ambulance response; funeral homes providing half of US ambulance services by mid-20th century](https://www.emsmemorial.org/ems-history), EMS Memorial
7. [EMRA -- "A Brief History of Emergency Medical Services in the United States": pre-1966 ambulance crews had minimal training; equipment was primitive; no national standards](https://emresident.org/a-brief-history-of-emergency-medical-services-in-the-united-states), Emergency Medicine Residents Association
8. [JEMS -- "Birth of EMS: The History of the Paramedic" (2013): 6 paramedic units in 3 pilot programs in 1972; every state had paramedics by 1977; Freedom House and Nagel's Miami program as origins](https://www.jems.com/ems-management/birth-ems-history-paramedic/), Journal of Emergency Medical Services
9. [NREMT History -- "National Registry of EMTs: From Inception to Nationwide Recognition": NREMT founded 1970; first Paramedic exam in Minneapolis 1978; AMA recognition of EMT-Paramedic 1975](https://www.nremt.org/about/history), National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
10. [EMS History Project -- "Era 3: Federal Reform and Birth of Modern Paramedicine 1966-1980": Highway Safety Act 1966; EMS Systems Act 1973; NHTSA national paramedic curriculum 1977](https://ems-history.com/timeline-era-3.html), EMS History Project
11. [NAEMSP -- prehospital STEMI systems of care position statement (2024): prehospital 12-lead ECG as standard of care for chest pain calls; reduces door-to-balloon time in integrated EMS-hospital systems](https://naemsp.org/), National Association of EMS Physicians
12. [ESO -- ESO ePCR AI product overview: deployed in 14,000+ EMS agencies; AI NLP narrative completion; ICD-10 coding; protocol compliance; hospital bidirectional data integration (ESO product pages 2025)](https://www.eso.com/news/press-releases/eso-ehr-integrates-philips-tempus-pro/), ESO
13. [ImageTrend Elite -- AI-assisted narrative completion, NEMSIS-compliant prehospital data, trauma activation AI, medication dosing alerts; deployed in FDNY, LAFD, and state EMS systems (ImageTrend product pages 2025)](https://www.imagetrend.com/support/elite-webinars/), ImageTrend
14. [Pulsara -- prehospital HIPAA-compliant care coordination; 12-lead ECG image sharing; cath-lab activation; deployed in 4,000+ hospitals and EMS agencies (Pulsara product pages 2025)](https://www.pulsara.com/), Pulsara
15. [Viz.ai -- FDA-cleared AI platform for prehospital STEMI triage via transmitted 12-lead; direct cath-lab activation from the field; reduces door-to-balloon time in integrated EMS-hospital systems (Viz.ai 2025)](https://www.viz.ai/), Viz.ai
16. [Corti AI -- real-time OHCA detection from 9-1-1 audio; sensitivity 97.2% vs. 72.5% for standard dispatchers (Rasmussen et al. 2023, JAMA Network Open); deployed in Copenhagen EMS and multiple US PSAP systems](https://www.corti.ai/), Corti AI
17. [Stryker LIFEPAK 35 Monitor/Defibrillator -- advanced cardiac monitor with 12/15-lead ECG and STJ Insight graphical representation; highest-acuity ALS cardiac monitor in US EMS (Stryker product page 2025)](https://www.stryker.com/us/en/emergency-care/products/lifepak-35.html), Stryker

### Forecasts and exposure studies

18. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 29-2043 Paramedics (2025: 102.2 thousand; 2035: 108.0 thousand; +5.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=29-2043&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
19. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 29-2043.00, human-rated β 0.192)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

20. [EMRA -- "A Brief History of Emergency Medical Services in the United States": the 1966 NAS white paper "Accidental Death and Disability" and the Highway Safety Act as the legislative birth of modern EMS](https://emresident.org/a-brief-history-of-emergency-medical-services-in-the-united-states), Emergency Medicine Residents Association
21. [Heinz History Center -- "The History and Legacy of the Freedom House": Freedom House Ambulance Service 1967-1975; Dr. Safar, Dr. Caroline; Hill District; first paramedic crew in the US; political closure 1975](https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/general-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-freedom-house/), Heinz History Center
22. [JEMS -- "Birth of EMS: The History of the Paramedic": Emergency! premiered January 1972; 6 ALS paramedic units in 3 cities; every state had paramedics by show's end; cultural driver of profession growth](https://www.jems.com/ems-management/birth-ems-history-paramedic/), Journal of Emergency Medical Services
23. [Congress.gov -- S.2410, 93rd Congress: Emergency Medical Services Systems Act of 1973, Public Law 93-154; $185 million; 300 regional systems; HEW oversight](https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/senate-bill/2410), Congress.gov / Library of Congress
24. [NREMT History -- AMA recognition of EMT-Paramedic as allied health profession 1975; NAEMT formation 1975; first accredited programs (UCLA, Eastern Kentucky) 1980](https://www.nremt.org/about/history), National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
25. [O\*NET / BLS -- 29-2043.00 Paramedics (separated from EMTs in 2020 SOC revision); previously combined under 29-2040 / 29-2041 group code](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2043.00), O\*NET / Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Predecessors & successors

26. [EMRA history -- military medic as foundational predecessor to civilian paramedic; Vietnam-era medical corpsman experience cited in 1966 NAS white paper as model for civilian prehospital care](https://emresident.org/a-brief-history-of-emergency-medical-services-in-the-united-states), Emergency Medicine Residents Association
27. [Paramedics in the United States -- Wikipedia: Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter-paramedic program (depicted in Emergency!) as model for dual-role fire-EMS; widespread adoption through 1970s-1980s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paramedics_in_the_United_States), Wikipedia
28. [NREMT History -- first NREMT-Paramedic exam 1978; career ladder from EMT-Basic to EMT-Paramedic via additional 400+ hours of training and clinical internship](https://www.nremt.org/about/history), National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
29. [O\*NET 29-2043.00 -- career transitions: Registered Nurse (29-1141) listed as most common Paramedic pivot; Paramedic-to-RN bridge programs widely available at community colleges](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2043.00), O\*NET / Bureau of Labor Statistics
30. [BLS OOH -- EMTs and Paramedics: advanced specialization in critical care transport and flight medicine noted as growth pathway; FP-C (Flight Paramedic Certified) credential from BCCTPC](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [O\*NET 30.3 — Paramedics (29-2043.00): tasks, work activities, knowledge domains, technology skills](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/29-2043.00), accessed 2026-05-24
- [BLS OOH 2024-2034 — EMTs and Paramedics: ~265,200 employed (2024); +5% projected growth 2024-2034; median annual wage $40,100; 29,900 annual openings](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ESO ePCR AI — AI NLP-driven ePCR narrative completion, ICD-10 coding, protocol compliance, and hospital data integration; deployed in 14,000+ EMS agencies (ESO product pages 2025)](https://www.eso.com/news/press-releases/eso-ehr-integrates-philips-tempus-pro/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Corti AI — real-time AI OHCA detection at emergency dispatch; sensitivity 97.2% vs. 72.5% for standard dispatcher detection (Rasmussen et al. 2023, JAMA Network Open); deployed in Copenhagen EMS and multiple U.S. 9-1-1 systems](https://www.corti.ai/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Stryker LIFEPAK 35 Monitor/Defibrillator — FDA-cleared 2023; AI 12-lead interpretation including STEMI, Wellens, de Winter, Sgarbossa (LBBB/paced) criteria; deployed as the high-acuity ALS cardiac monitor in U.S. EMS systems post-2023](https://www.stryker.com/us/en/emergency-care/products/lifepak-35.html), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Viz.ai STEMI — FDA-cleared AI platform for prehospital STEMI triage via transmitted 12-lead; direct cath-lab activation from the field; reduces door-to-balloon time in integrated EMS-hospital systems](https://www.viz.ai/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Pulsara — prehospital HIPAA-compliant care coordination platform; 12-lead ECG image sharing, real-time vitals, cath-lab activation, hospital team notifications; deployed in 4,000+ hospitals and EMS agencies](https://www.pulsara.com/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ImageTrend Elite — prehospital ePCR with AI-assisted narrative completion, NEMSIS compliance, trauma activation AI, medication dosing alerts; deployed in FDNY, LAFD, and large municipal EMS systems](https://www.imagetrend.com/support/elite-webinars/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ZOLL RescueNet / CODE-STAT — prehospital ePCR and CPR quality AI review; post-resuscitation ECG analysis; compression depth, rate, and ventilation compliance reporting from X-Series cardiac monitor data](https://www.zoll.com/medical-technology/ems-solutions/rescuenet/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Mohr et al. 2024 — Prehospital Early Sepsis Detection (PRESED) machine learning model; Journal of Emergency Medicine 2024; prehospital AI sepsis screening integrating vital signs and ePCR data](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S073646792400014X), accessed 2026-05-24
- [NAEMSP — National Association of EMS Physicians: position statements on AI in prehospital care, prehospital STEMI systems, and quality improvement; 2024-2025](https://naemsp.org/), accessed 2026-05-24
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science): occupational LLM exposure framework; 29-2043.00 carries near-zero LLM text exposure, reflecting procedural physical nature of the role; does not capture machine-vision or physiologic-signal AI deployed in prehospital practice](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-24
- [LinkedIn job postings — Paramedic / Critical Care Paramedic / Flight Paramedic (2025-2026): NREMT-P required; ePCR proficiency (ESO or ImageTrend) in ~60% of postings; 12-lead ECG interpretation as core competency; FP-C credential for flight roles](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?keywords=paramedic), accessed 2026-05-24
- [ESO Analytics — AI-driven EMS quality improvement dashboards showing individual Paramedic performance metrics: response time, CPR quality, ePCR completeness, medication administration accuracy (ESO product pages 2025)](https://www.eso.com/), accessed 2026-05-24

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.