---

Emergency Care Attendant (EMT)

What Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Service Orientation — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.4 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.1 / 7
Performing General Physical Activities	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	3.7 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Mapping software	Map creation software	—
Computer aided dispatch software	Helpdesk or call center software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) graduates include:

• First Responder
• Transport Medic
• Medical Van Driver (Medi-Van Driver)
• Chair Car Driver
• Emergency Medical Vehicle Operator
• Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Driver
• Mobile Medical Van Advanced Practitioner
• Driver
• Medic Technician
• Emergency Care Attendant (ECA)
• Ambulance Driver
• Ambulance Attendant
• Class B Driver
• Driver Medic
• Patient Carrier

What Can You Do With a Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians	14.1%	$64,291	$55,138–$73,444

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	56.3%
Some college courses	23.1%
Postsecondary certificate	19.6%
Less than a high school diploma	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$27,434
4 years	$29,082
5 years	$32,352

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $32,352 — roughly 18% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Emergency Care Attendant (EMT) graduates earn a median of $29,082 four years after completion — about 23% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services	80,693
Medical/Clinical Assistant	52,819
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant	7,541
Physical Therapy Assistant	5,633
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Occupational Therapist Assistant	3,178
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Assistant	614
Respiratory Therapy Technician/Assistant	431
Anesthesiologist Assistant	423
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	363
Pathology/Pathologist Assistant	153

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.