Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are the first to arrive at the scene of an accident. They provide lifesaving medical assistance to people who need help before and during their journey to the emergency room (ER) at the nearest hospital. EMTs also respond to calls for help when someone is injured or ill and can't make it to the ER on their own. 

Each year, EMTs serve between 25 and 30 million Americans. They work closely with other first responders, like paramedics, to provide care to people who haven't yet arrived at the ER. 

EMTs and paramedics provide many of the same services, and they often work together. A paramedic has more training, education and experience than an EMT. In many cases, EMTs go on to pursue paramedic certification. 

EMT Education Requirements

States and some large cities set their own EMT certification requirements. For example, the City of Boston has an EMS EMT Basic Course. The program spans six months, and the city provides this educational opportunity twice per year. They offer evening and weekend courses to make it easier for people with full-time jobs to get their EMT certification.¹

All EMT certification classes must follow National EMS Education Standards. There are four main components: 

• Competencies

• Knowledge

• Clinical Behaviors and Judgments

• Educational Infrastructure

Inside this framework, EMT students can gain the skills needed to perform the day-to-day duties of an EMT professional.²

Paramedic Education Requirements

EMTs that go on to complete paramedic training build on the EMT skills and education. An EMT must complete at least 170 hours of instruction, while a paramedic's educational program spans 1,200 - 1,800 hours of education. 

Paramedic students may have experience in the field working as an EMT. They may also choose to go directly from EMT training into paramedic training. 

Paramedic programs last between six and 12 months. Students learn to start intravenous lines, provide airway management, interpret EKG results, administer medication, and provide lifesaving care to patients in the midst of a health emergency. 

Paramedic trainees may be required to take a number of college-level courses, including anatomy and physiology. They may have to pass an in-depth background check and a physical. There are health requirements for paramedics, as well as certain immunization requirements.³ 

What Are the Job Duties of an EMT or Paramedic? 

EMTs may be emergency dispatchers, offshore medics, contract medics or even firefighters. Additional training provides EMTs the opportunity to transition to a crime lab technician, health information technician or biological technician.

EMTs and paramedics may also be able to continue their education and work in an emergency room as ER technicians. ER techs work only in emergency rooms; they don't respond to calls that require on-scene work. ER techs make more money than EMTs or paramedics. The average EMT tech's annual salary in the US is $63,507. 

Many paramedics choose to pursue additional training so they can transition to a surgical technologist position. Surgical techs provide before and after surgery patient care, and they make an average of $50,110 per year.⁴

EMT Training Requirements

EMT education and training must meet national and local standards. EMTs generally complete between 120 and 300 hours of training in a classroom. EMT students also spend time in clinical rotations at a local hospital. They are exposed to emergency departments, psychiatry, obstetrics and intensive care. There may also be a minimum amount of ambulance care required to get an EMT certification. 

EMTs must have a unique set of skills and a personality that allows them to work long hours, handle stressful situations calmly, and keep up with the fast pace of emergency medicine. They must be excellent problem solvers who can think quickly and work with limited information. 

An EMT must be able to communicate clearly with people that are in pain and under stress. They must provide hospital workers with crucial information about a patient in transition between the scene and the ER so the ER staff can take over. 

Paramedic Training Requirements

Before a student begins paramedic training, they must successfully complete EMT training. If they decide to continue their education, they must complete a certified paramedic training program and pass the state's required exams. 

Enrolling in a paramedic program requires a high school diploma or GED, college-level English and math classes, an up-to-date EMT certificate, and one year of full-time experience as an EMT. 

Paramedic training includes classes that cover pre-hospital care, advanced cardiac life support techniques, pharmacology and neonatal emergency proceedures. Clinical experiences help prepare paramedic students for the state-required exam. 

Associate Degree in Paramedic Technology

Students who want an associates degree in Paramedic Technology must complete general education classes and liberal arts classes in addition to the required paramedic training and clinical work. 

Students who have a current EMT certification and who have worked full-time as an EMT may be able to complete paramedic training in 12 months if they attend school full time. In many cases, students take as long as three years to move into a paramedic role from an EMT position.⁶ 

How Do You Become an EMT or Paramedic?

In addition to the education reqired to become an EMT or paramedic, there are certain exams required by the state. EMTs must pass the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) EMT computer exam and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) EMT skills exam. Within two years of passing these exams, EMTs can use their course completion certificate to apply for official EMT certification and begin working in the field.⁷

EMTs aren't required to get a two-year or four-year college degree. They must fulfill strict state and federal requirements before they can work as an EMT, however. 

• Basic Education Requirements: High school graduation or GED. 

• CPR Certification: CPR certification is a condition of acceptance to EMT training programs.

• EMT Program: Education program approved by their state. 

• Cognitive Exam: EMTs must pass the National Registry Emergency Medical Technician cognitive exam and show a "standard level of competency". The exam takes about two hours and has 60 to 110 questions. 

• Psychomotor Exam: Demonstrate the ability to perform emergency services. 

EMT and Paramedic Certifications

There are four levels of EMT certification recognized by the  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).⁸ 

EMS workers build on the knowledge and skills gained in lower levels. 

• EMR (Emergency Medical Responder): Basic medical emergency response training.

• EMT (Emergency Medical Technician): Full-time licensed EMTs responsible for responding to emergency calls and safely transporting medical patients to a nearby hospital.⁹

• AEMT (Advanced Emergency Medical Technician): Builds on EMT training; certified AEMTs provide intermediate life support (ILS) care. 

• Paramedic: Highest certification level for emergency medical providers. 

Students may choose to pursue additional education in some states: 

• Advanced Practice or Critical Care Paramedic: Advanced training allows paramedics to obtain higher certification. 

How Do Paramedics and EMTs Pay for School?

If you decide to become an EMT or if you'd like to continue your training to work as a paramedic, you'll have access to the same financial aid as students in other college-level programs including grants, scholarships and loans. If financial aid doesn't cover the costs, consider a college tuition loan or professional education loan. 

To find a college near you that offers an accredited EMT program, check out the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educations Programs website. 

There are a large number of open jobs for certified EMTs and paramedics, along with many opportunities for growth. EMT and paramedics have great options if they decide to move into adjacent careers.