---
title: "How to Become an EMT: Course, Exam and Pay | CareerDirecting"
description: "How to become an EMT: the EMT course, NREMT exams, state licensing, what the job is like and May 2025 BLS median pay and outlook."
url: https://careerdirecting.com/careers/emt/
updated: 2026-10-09
site: CareerDirecting
---

Healthcare · EMT

# How to become an EMT One semester to the back of an ambulance.

Healthcare career profile

Emergency medical technicians respond to 911 calls, care for patients on scene and get them safely to the hospital. Training is short, and the experience is valued across healthcare and public safety.

In short

To become an EMT, complete a state-approved EMT course, often about one semester, then pass the National Registry cognitive and skills exams and get your state license. Most programs require CPR certification and you must usually be 18. EMTs earned a median of $44,470 in May 2025, with 5.8% growth projected through 2035.

**Job numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics** Updated October 9, 2026. Pay figures are national medians and are not a promise of what you will earn.

| Median pay | $44,470 a year, about $21.38 an hour (May 2025) |
|---|---|
| Typical way in | Certificate |
| Jobs in the U.S. | About 181,900 (2025) |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | Projected growth of 5.8% |
| Openings each year | About 13,800 on average, including replacements |
| National exam | [NREMT](https://www.nremt.org/) cognitive and psychomotor exams |
| Where they work | Ambulance services, fire departments, hospitals |

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035 and May 2025 wages, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm). National figures; pay where you live can be higher or lower, and starting pay is lower than the median.

## What the job is like

Shifts can be 12 or 24 hours. You might go from a fall at a nursing home to a car crash to a call that turns out to be nothing. You lift patients, work in all weather and see people on their worst days. Teamwork with your partner is everything.

## After EMT

Many EMTs go on to [paramedic](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/paramedic/) programs, firefighting, nursing or physician assistant school.

## Questions people ask

### How long does EMT training take?

Many courses run about one semester, and some accelerated ones are shorter.

### Is the NREMT exam hard?

It is challenging, and many people study hard for it. Programs prepare you.

### Do EMTs get paid well?

Pay is modest; many use EMT as a stepping stone.

## Sources

- [BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035, Table 1.2 (occupational projections and worker characteristics)](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm)
- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Emergency medical technicians](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/emts-and-paramedics.htm)
- [National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians](https://www.nremt.org/)

## Where to go next

- [EMT vs paramedic](https://careerdirecting.com/compare/emt-vs-paramedic/)
- [Paramedic](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/paramedic/)
- [Firefighter](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/firefighter/)
- [Careers](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/)
- [Barber](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/barber/)
- [Bookkeeper](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/bookkeeper/)
- [Cardiovascular technologist](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/cardiovascular-technologist/)
- [CNA](https://careerdirecting.com/careers/cna/)

---
Canonical page: https://careerdirecting.com/careers/emt/