SOC 29-2042 · Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro

Emergency Medical Technicians Salary in Riverside, CA

The average salary for emergency medical technicians in Riverside, California is $47,260 a year ($22.72 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,500: half of the 2,340 people in this job in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($46,830).

$47,260average per year

$22.72 / hourMedian $43,500Take-home ≈ $39,125

  • $37K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $62K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

2,340people in this job
+1%vs U.S. average
#16 of 21California metros
106cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Emergency Medical Technicians pay range in Riverside

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,100 a year or less, while the top 10% make $61,840 or more. The middle half of emergency medical technicians in Riverside earn between $37,750 and $49,470.

  • $37K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $44KMedian
  • $49K75th
  • $62K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$47,260$3,938$22.72
Median$43,500$3,625$20.91
Entry level (25th percentile)$37,750$3,146$18.15
Experienced (75th percentile)$49,470$4,122$23.78

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Emergency Medical Technicians pay in Riverside vs. California and the U.S.

Emergency medical technicians in Riverside earn 11% less than the California average ($52,900) and about the same as the U.S. average ($46,830). At the median the gap is -2% against the U.S. median of $44,470.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Riverside$47,260$43,500$37,100$61,8402,340
California$52,900$46,380$38,740$78,15021,880
United States$46,830$44,470$34,130$62,500180,510

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Emergency Medical Technicians salary after taxes in Riverside

On the average salary of $47,260, a single filer in Riverside takes home about $39,125 a year, or $3,260 a month and $1,505 every two weeks. Taxes take 17% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Riverside a good place for emergency medical technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Riverside area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 106.4), so the average $47,260 buys what about $44,400 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.9 times the median wage of all jobs in Riverside ($48,400). A typical home costs $585,378, or 12.4 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $47,260 is worth in another city

Emergency Medical Technicians salary in other California cities

Riverside ranks 16th of 21 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($72,700).

All Emergency Medical Technicians salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for emergency medical technicians

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($72,700).

Emergency Medical Technicians salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Emergency Medical Technicians in Riverside, CA.

Emergency Medical Technicians salary in Riverside: questions

How much do emergency medical technicians make an hour in Riverside?

$22.72 an hour on average, and $20.92 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level emergency medical technicians salary in Riverside?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $37,100 a year and the 25th percentile is $37,750, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the emergency medical technicians take-home pay in Riverside?

About $39,125 a year ($3,260 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $47,260. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do emergency medical technicians earn more in Riverside than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. average for this job ($46,830).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 29-2042; area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (40140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 0.6%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.17, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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