About This Quiz
EMTs have an incredibly important job to do. They provide help and support to people in deadly and dangerous situations every day. They often put themselves at risk to save lives and very often save the lives of people in critical conditions. Many people want to take on professions like these, but not many people can handle such intense and high-stakes work. It takes a lot to dive into risky and high-stakes situations and make the kind of decisions that solve problems and maybe even save lives. Â
EMT stands for Emergency Medical Technician and those in this field undergo intense training so they can handle making important medical decisions in high-stakes situations. They are always ready to respond in emergency situations, provide care, and transport sick and injured people to hospitals quickly and efficiently. It takes a lot of guts to be an EMT!
There is a lot to being an EMT, but how much do you know about all of the facts and figures of the job? Put your knowledge of EMT in America stats to the test with this quiz!Â
As of 2017, the median yearly pay for EMTs is $33,380. This is according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Texas has one of the largest groups of certified NREMT personnel of any state. It has 32,095 of them.
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The 2017 median pay of EMTs in America is $16.05 an hour. This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2016, there were about 250,000 EMT jobs. The exact number is 248,000.
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EMTs have one of the highest injury rates amongst all professions. 67% of those injuries involve strains and sprains, as EMTs often have to maneuver patients for care and transportation.
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The job outlook is excellent for this field. At 15%, its growth is much faster than the average.
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EMTs and paramedics had about 250,000 jobs in 2016. 48% of them were employed by ambulance services.
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Hospitals employed 18% of those in this field in 2016. That includes state, local and private hospitals.
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Most paid EMTs work full-time. Roughly 1/3 of them worked more than 40 hours a week in 2016.
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The lowest 10% of EMTs earned less than $21,880 as of 2017. The median yearly wage is $33,380.
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The highest 10% of earners amongst EMTs made more than $56,990. This is as of 2017.
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Ambulance services pay a median wage of about $30,000. Hospitals and local government both pay a median yearly wage of about $35,000.
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There is expected to be massive growth in this field due to the growth of cities and the growth of America's aging population. Also, due to the high stress of the job, many people leave it and need to be replaced.
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For an entry-level EMT position, people must complete 120 hours of training minimum. This training focuses mostly on trauma, cardiac emergencies and respiratory management.
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75% of EMTs are men. 85% are of nonminority status.
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While EMT employment is supposed to grow 33% by 2020, it is thought that most of those jobs will be in rural and small US towns. This is where 54% of employed EMTs are expected to be.
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EMTs in DC earn the most of any EMTs in the country. Their annual salary is $53,050 a year.
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As an EMT, your location plays a big part in how much you will make. While those in some places earn over $50,000 annually, West Virginia EMTs earn an average salary of only about $25,000 a year. This is one of the lowest for EMTs in the country.
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According to a Bureau of Labor study conducted between 2003-2007, most EMT injuries are not fatal. Out of 21,749 reported injuries or illnesses, 21,690 were not fatal.
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In order to become an EMT, you must complete an EMT course, which might be up to about 150 hours in length. Paramedics are trained to handle more advanced medical cases, and their courses can be up to 1,800 hours long.
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In order to become an EMT, you have to take a course and then take and pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) EMT exam. After that you can apply for certification within two years of passing the test.
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California has the most NREMT personnel. It has 39,599 of them.
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In 2017, 266,472 people were certified as EMTs in the US. More EMTs were certified than first responders, AEMTs, and paramedics combined.
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Wyoming is one of the least populated states in America, so it makes sense that they have the fewest NREMT personnel. There are only 955 in the state.
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In 2018, Alabama had the lowest first pass rate for EMTs in America. Only 48% passed the first time.
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Hawaii had a 94% EMT first attempt pass rate in 2018. This is one of the highest in the whole country.
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Out of 21,794 reported injuries between 2003-2007, only about 3,700 of them resulted in a month of lost work time or more. That is only 17%.
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EMS treats between 25-30 million patients a year in the US. Their annual expenditure is about 5 billion.
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Paramedics and EMTs have a very high injury rate compared to other occupations. The injury rate for those in these occupations is 3 times higher than the average.
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Many EMTs in the US are college educated. 45% have a college degree or higher.
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Despite the severe nature of their work, EMTs are one of the least stressed medical professionals. Only about 6% of nationally certified EMS professionals were classified as stressed, which is lower than the average for most other health care professions.
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Of all of the states about, Louisiana has the least personnel in this field. There are 10,306 of them.
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Patients are not a leading cause of injury for EMTs and paramedics. Patients were found to be the source of their injuries only 37% of the time.
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In 2016, 253,436 people were certified as EMTs in the US. This is over double the number of certified paramedics that year.
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Over a course of a three-year study, 59 EMT and paramedic deaths were reported. Of those deaths, 86% were transportation related.
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