Paramedics: pay and what the work involves

Occupation 2255 · Professional occupations

Paramedics

Paramedics provide first aid and life support treatment in emergency situations and transport sick and injured people who require skilled treatment.

How people enter it

Entry is via a student paramedic position with an ambulance service trust or completion of an approved full-time university course in paramedical science. Qualification requirements for entry to university courses vary (GCSEs, A levels or equivalent). A full, manual driving licence (with appropriate classifications) is required. Paramedics working in the NHS must be registered with the Health Professions Council.

What the work involves

drives ambulance or accompanies driver to respond to calls for assistance at accidents, emergencies and other incidents
assesses the nature of injuries, provides first aid treatment and ascertains appropriate method of conveying patient
resuscitates and/or stabilises patient using relevant techniques, equipment and drugs
transports and accompanies patients who either require or potentially require skilled treatment whilst travelling
briefs other medical staff when handing over the patient, and completes patient report forms describing the patient’s condition and any treatment provided

Also called

Ambulance paramedic · Emergency care practitioner · Paramedic · Paramedic-ECP

What it pays

Measure	Hours	Basis	Period	Value	Source
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	33,500.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	35,000.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	36,800.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	1,100.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	1,800.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	37,800.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)
2255 : Paramedics	None	None	2026-03	1,500.00	ONS, Annual Population Survey - employment by occupation (SOC 2020)

Every regional figure

ONS does not publish occupational pay below region. Cells the survey could not support are shown as withheld, with its reason — adding a region split to a specific occupation leaves roughly a tenth of cells publishable.

Region	Measure	Hours	Value	Period
East	2255 : Paramedics	None	6,600.00	2026-03
East Midlands	2255 : Paramedics	None	1,300.00	2026-03
London	2255 : Paramedics	None	3,300.00	2026-03
North East	2255 : Paramedics	None	1,000.00	2026-03
North West	2255 : Paramedics	None	3,300.00	2026-03
Northern Ireland	2255 : Paramedics	None	1,100.00	2026-03
Scotland	2255 : Paramedics	None	1,800.00	2026-03
South East	2255 : Paramedics	None	5,700.00	2026-03
South West	2255 : Paramedics	None	5,200.00	2026-03
Wales	2255 : Paramedics	None	1,500.00	2026-03
West Midlands	2255 : Paramedics	None	4,000.00	2026-03
Yorkshire and The Humber	2255 : Paramedics	None	3,200.00	2026-03

Common questions

Does pay for paramedics vary by region?

ONS publishes regional pay for this occupation where the survey sample supports it — 12 of 12 cells on this page. The rest are withheld by ONS, and are shown as withheld with the reason, rather than left out.

Where do these pay figures come from?

The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, published by the Office for National Statistics. Figures are shown exactly as ONS publishes them — we do not adjust, model or fill them in, and every number on this page carries the series and period it came from.

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