Best US cities for EMTs and paramedics

Ranking of the top 100 places for EMS work based on salary, job competition, housing and amenities

July 06, 2015 12:37 PM

An analysis of 750 U.S. metro and micro areas ranked the best cities for EMTs and paramedics. Ames, Iowa received the top overall score and number-one ranking. The GoodCall ranking of “The Best Places for EMTs and Paramedics” is based on average EMT and paramedic salary, job competition, density and availability, housing affordability and amenities.

Many EMS providers endure low-paying jobs, 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.

Check out the top places to work, view interactive graphs, and see where your community ranks.

Top cities for EMTs and paramedics

Best Salary

1. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
2. Oak Harbor, WA
3. Port Angeles, WA
4. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
5. Olympia-Tumwater, WA

housing

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

amenities

Best Amenities

1. Jackson, WY-ID
2. Key West, FL
3. Taos, NM
4. Santa Fe, NM
5. Astoria, OR

Overall Top 10

10. Pueblo, Colo.
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, Ariz.
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, Wash.
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, Wash.
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, Wash.
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, Calif.
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, Texas
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, Iowa
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

The data for the top 100

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

Best U.S. cities methodology

The employment attractiveness rank is based on a combination of EMT/paramedic job density, which was taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and EMT/paramedic job availability and competition (resumes per available job), which were taken from Indeed.com. This metric, which shows how attractive an area is for job seekers, represents 45 percent of a community’s overall score.

The average EMT/paramedic salary was taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics tool and represents the annual mean wage for EMTs and paramedics in 2013. This represents 30 percent of the overall score.

The housing affordability index was taken from the U.S. Census American Fact Finder. This is the average percentage of income spent on housing, and represents 15 percent of the overall score.

The number of amenities per 1,000 households was taken from the U.S. Census American Fact Finder. It includes arts, entertainment and recreation, and represents 10 percent of the overall score.

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