Email | Twitter | LinkedIn Paul is a High Point University graduate with a B.S. in Business and a B.A. in Strategic Communication. GoodCall's resident numbers guy, Paul is a digital marketing expert who has been working in data analysis for more than 3 years. Paul contributes to GoodCall News with original data and reports.

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics don’t always get the same recognition as doctors and nurses. But they’re an equally important part of the medical field, especially in emergency situations. EMTs and paramedics save lives in high-pressure environments, responding to emergency calls, performing medical services at the scene and transporting patients quickly and safely to hospitals.

Unsurprisingly, the career of emergency medical personnel isn’t without stress. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, EMTs and paramedics experience work-related illnesses and injuries at a much higher level than the average worker. They’re also often required to work long hours and irregular schedules.

Many emergency medical workers stick with the job, in spite of the long hours and stress, because they genuinely enjoy helping others and making a difference. However, great perks – like competitive salaries, low cost of living, and great amenities – can also help. That’s why we decided to take a look at the country’s best places for EMTs and paramedics. We evaluated 750 metro and micro areas nationwide based on the following criteria:

Average EMT/paramedic salaries

Housing affordability (percent of income spent on rent)

Area amenities (including arts, entertainment and recreation

Employment attractiveness (a metric that combines job availability, density and competition)

Read on to check out our top places for EMTs and paramedics, explore interactive graphs and more!

I. The Top 10 Places for EMTs and Paramedics





10. Pueblo, CO GoodCall score: 434.60

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $39,560

Housing affordability index: 27.43%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 4.92

Employment attractiveness rank: 3 9. Yuma, AZ GoodCall score: 435.70

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $46,280

Housing affordability index: 22.67%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 3.21

Employment attractiveness rank: 149 8. Olympia-Tumwater, WA GoodCall score: 436.65

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $57,270

Housing affordability index: 25.99%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 5.54

Employment attractiveness rank: 192 7. Kennewick-Richland, WA GoodCall score: 436.95

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $53,480

Housing affordability index: 22.58%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 4.12

Employment attractiveness rank: 167 6. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA GoodCall score: 439.85

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $63,450

Housing affordability index: 25.92%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 6.74

Employment attractiveness rank: 181

5. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA GoodCall score: 436.95

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $53,480

Housing affordability index: 22.58%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 4.12

Employment attractiveness rank: 167 4. Baton Rouge, LA GoodCall score: 443.35

Average EMT/paramedic salary: 443.35

Housing affordability index: 443.35

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 5.23

Employment attractiveness rank: 136 3. Amarillo, TX GoodCall score: 446.35

Average EMT/paramedic salary: 446.35

Housing affordability index: 446.35

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 5.28

Employment attractiveness rank: 19 2. Lexington-Fayette, KY GoodCall score: 450.00

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $46,540

Housing affordability index: 25.18%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 7.03

Employment attractiveness rank: 83 1. Ames, IA GoodCall score: 453.85

Average EMT/paramedic salary: $44,430

Housing affordability index: 26.04%

Amenities per 1,000 housing units: 6.82

Employment attractiveness rank: 35













Best Salary 1. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

2. Oak Harbor, WA

3. Port Angeles, WA

4. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA

5. Olympia-Tumwater, WA Most Affordable Housing 1. Gallup, NM

2. Rio Grande City, TX

3. Abilene, TX

4. Othello, WA

5. Port Angeles, WA

Best Jobs 1. Albany, GA

2. Mansfield, OH

3. Pueblo, CO

4. Springfield, MO

5. Lubbock, TX Best Amenities 1. Jackson, WY-ID

2. Key West, FL

3. Taos, NM

4. Santa Fe, NM

5. Astoria, OR

II. The Data

Rank Metro/Micro Area GoodCall Score Population Average EMT/Paramedic Salary Housing Affordability Index Amenities per 1,000 Housing Units Employment Attractiveness Rank 1 Ames, IA 453.85 94,073 $44,430 26.04% 6.82 35 2 Lexington-Fayette, KY 450.00 494,189 $46,540 25.18% 7.03 83 3 Amarillo, TX 446.35 259,885 $42,510 25.29% 5.28 19 4 Baton Rouge, LA 443.35 825,478 $44,380 25.23% 5.23 136 5 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 442.65 271,804 $57,330 29.91% 9.44 174 6 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 439.85 3,671,478 $63,450 25.92% 6.74 181 7 Kennewick-Richland, WA 436.95 274,295 $53,480 22.58% 4.12 167 8 Olympia-Tumwater, WA 436.65 265,851 $57,270 25.99% 5.54 192 9 Yuma, AZ 435.70 203,247 $46,280 22.67% 3.21 149 10 Pueblo, CO 434.60 161,875 $39,560 27.43% 4.92 3 11 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 430.40 120,365 $49,490 28.53% 5.74 132 12 Tucson, AZ 426.50 1,004,516 $42,280 28.55% 6.09 133 13 Abilene, TX 425.05 168,592 $52,140 18.51% 1.93 94 14 Santa Fe, NM 424.10 148,164 $41,310 31.70% 18.17 25 15 Redding, CA 424.05 179,804 $44,380 29.31% 6.15 115 16 Greeley, CO 422.15 277,670 $43,190 31.69% 5.87 157 17 Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 421.50 2,069,681 $45,590 31.88% 7.39 104 18 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 421.30 92,082 $35,260 23.65% 7.23 45 19 Fairbanks, AK 416.40 99,357 $47,460 32.89% 6.31 84 20 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 411.55 3,495,176 $48,240 30.99% 7.29 186 21 Dothan, AL 410.95 148,095 $39,400 22.80% 2.24 119 22 Columbus, GA-AL 410.15 314,005 $40,160 28.20% 1.75 64 23 Elkhart-Goshen, IN 405.85 201,971 $38,650 27.05% 1.66 143 24 Trenton, NJ 401.50 371,537 $44,120 39.17% 8.13 170 25 Champaign-Urbana, IL 401.50 237,252 $37,200 31.98% 5.79 9 26 Savannah, GA 401.05 372,708 $38,470 33.80% 6.82 58 27 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 398.60 1,952,872 $49,540 37.34% 5.33 118 28 Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 398.50 2,754,258 $41,890 35.92% 6.44 97 29 Boulder, CO 397.30 313,333 $39,760 39.47% 12.55 81 30 Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL 397.05 115,916 $34,010 26.28% 4.55 94 31 Iowa City, IA 394.60 164,357 $37,290 33.79% 6.05 15 32 Grand Junction, CO 393.50 148,255 $37,300 33.54% 5.73 39 33 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 393.35 2,348,247 $43,640 34.29% 7.18 188 34 Janesville-Beloit, WI 392.75 161,188 $37,040 32.40% 4.42 120 35 Memphis, TN-MS-AR 392.20 1,343,230 $38,450 32.62% 4.99 57 36 Kokomo, IN 392.15 82,982 $34,720 27.78% 2.92 67 37 New Orleans-Metairie, LA 392.05 1,251,849 $37,580 32.87% 6.96 122 38 Jacksonville, NC 390.35 187,589 $39,240 31.62% 3.24 167 39 Kingston, NY 386.95 180,445 $38,100 40.25% 16.32 124 40 Vineland-Bridgeton, NJ 386.45 157,389 $39,790 35.34% 2.36 52 41 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 386.00 2,785,874 $41,460 38.33% 6.86 102 42 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 385.10 6,954,330 $39,680 35.36% 5.46 66 43 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 384.80 2,321,418 $37,840 37.41% 6.35 41 44 San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 382.80 4,594,060 $42,700 41.59% 8.95 111 45 Anchorage, AK 380.10 398,892 $41,470 39.34% 7.28 148 46 Fort Collins, CO 378.95 324,122 $37,720 37.50% 8.58 134 47 Battle Creek, MI 377.90 134,878 $34,340 30.45% 2.38 6 48 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 377.40 168,806 $34,020 29.12% 5.80 41 49 Fond du Lac, WI 377.30 101,759 $37,110 31.94% 2.87 150 50 Houma-Thibodaux, LA 377.15 211,348 $34,510 27.15% 2.02 129 51 Austin-Round Rock, TX 376.95 1,943,299 $37,930 39.17% 6.14 91 52 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 375.55 6,033,737 $45,190 40.89% 6.76 193 53 Salt Lake City, UT 374.60 1,153,340 $39,060 35.83% 5.71 163 54 Kansas City, MO-KS 374.00 2,071,133 $36,670 35.75% 5.76 73 55 Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA 372.65 2,244,397 $41,000 38.19% 5.62 179 56 Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 371.85 405,427 $33,410 28.71% 3.76 49 57 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 370.00 20,092,883 $40,890 42.01% 9.45 178 58 Santa Rosa, CA 369.80 500,292 $39,650 42.09% 9.12 167 59 St. Louis, MO-IL 369.45 2,806,207 $36,360 34.72% 5.64 121 60 Madera, CA 366.95 154,548 $38,600 34.89% 2.13 161 61 Fort Wayne, IN 366.35 427,183 $33,360 30.57% 4.76 12 62 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 364.85 420,392 $33,550 26.18% 3.70 191 63 Albuquerque, NM 364.55 904,587 $34,080 35.46% 5.97 14 64 Bakersfield, CA 364.10 874,589 $37,870 34.79% 3.59 183 65 Ogden-Clearfield, UT 363.55 632,293 $36,620 36.32% 3.16 140 66 Wilmington, NC 362.30 272,548 $35,130 37.36% 10.18 91 67 Toledo, OH 360.85 607,456 $33,760 32.95% 5.60 46 68 Morristown, TN 358.90 115,713 $33,280 27.10% 2.89 143 69 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 358.30 2,380,314 $36,260 35.24% 4.48 154 70 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 356.50 2,915,582 $35,360 36.51% 5.77 110 71 Brunswick, GA 356.40 114,806 $33,400 32.50% 7.67 31 72 Rochester, NY 356.15 1,083,393 $35,580 35.32% 5.66 173 73 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 355.95 829,835 $36,310 39.38% 6.37 166 74 Dover, DE 355.05 171,987 $34,720 38.22% 4.13 9 75 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 354.05 6,051,170 $36,600 41.58% 6.52 159 76 Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 352.35 275,209 $34,960 45.64% 7.74 28 77 Colorado Springs, CO 350.40 686,908 $34,470 40.70% 5.85 101 78 Odessa, TX 348.05 153,904 $33,260 28.96% 2.68 171 79 Evansville, IN-KY 347.60 315,162 $32,870 31.99% 5.21 17 80 Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 344.00 6,490,180 $35,220 38.96% 4.98 84 81 Morgantown, WV 343.80 137,251 $31,940 29.47% 5.67 29 82 Greenville, NC 343.55 175,354 $33,670 33.45% 5.16 164 83 Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 341.25 1,716,624 $34,530 44.20% 5.13 59 84 Cleveland-Elyria, OH 341.05 2,063,598 $33,740 36.41% 6.49 108 85 Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 339.50 155,233 $33,210 31.37% 2.86 72 86 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI 337.65 319,226 $32,370 31.87% 6.26 146 87 Asheville, NC 337.30 442,316 $39,520 27.34% 7.76 240 88 Eau Claire, WI 337.20 165,024 $41,950 27.01% 7.75 371 89 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 333.70 169,993 $32,770 31.44% 2.33 8 90 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 332.80 880,167 $34,250 40.29% 6.37 186 91 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 331.40 727,689 $33,960 39.89% 6.49 182 92 Oak Harbor, WA 331.25 79,275 $58,670 24.42% 13.47 488 93 Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 329.55 4,489,109 $34,060 40.24% 4.57 135 94 Mansfield, OH 329.30 121,942 $30,940 30.83% 6.57 2 95 Port Angeles, WA 328.75 72,715 $58,670 18.89% 5.98 504 96 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 327.35 831,073 $31,920 27.77% 3.87 36 97 Pittsburgh, PA 326.85 2,355,968 $32,630 34.06% 6.27 87 98 Ellensburg, WA 326.65 42,522 $53,390 23.49% 7.03 504 99 Harrisonburg, VA 325.70 130,649 $32,840 35.41% 6.38 150 100 Glens Falls, NY 324.30 127,345 $32,350 38.57% 10.22 34

III. Methodology

GoodCall analyzed more than 750 metro and micro areas nationwide and come up with an overall ranking, based on average EMT and paramedic salary, job competition, density and availability, housing affordability, and amenities.