SOC 29-2042 · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro

Emergency Medical Technicians Salary in San Jose, CA

The average salary for emergency medical technicians in San Jose, California is $72,700 a year ($34.95 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $54,650: half of the 830 people in this job in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 55% more than the U.S. average for this job ($46,830).

$72,700average per year

$34.95 / hourMedian $54,650Take-home ≈ $57,231

  • $46K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $55KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $94K90th

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

830people in this job
+55%vs U.S. average
#1 of 21California metros
110cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Emergency Medical Technicians pay range in San Jose

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,430 a year or less, while the top 10% make $94,100 or more. The middle half of emergency medical technicians in San Jose earn between $48,260 and $79,160.

  • $46K10th
  • $48K25th
  • $55KMedian
  • $79K75th
  • $94K90th

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

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$72,700$6,058$34.95
Median$54,650$4,554$26.27
Entry level (25th percentile)$48,260$4,022$23.20
Experienced (75th percentile)$79,160$6,597$38.06

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

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

Emergency medical technicians in San Jose earn 37% more than the California average ($52,900) and 55% more than the U.S. average ($46,830). At the median the gap is +23% against the U.S. median of $44,470.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
San Jose$72,700$54,650$46,430$94,100830
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 San Jose

On the average salary of $72,700, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $57,231 a year, or $4,769 a month and $2,201 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% 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 San Jose a good place for emergency medical technicians? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $72,700 buys what about $65,838 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 22.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $72,700 is worth in another city

Emergency Medical Technicians salary in other California cities

San Jose ranks 1st of 21 California metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

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 San Jose, CA.

Emergency Medical Technicians salary in San Jose: questions

How much do emergency medical technicians make an hour in San Jose?

$34.95 an hour on average, and $26.27 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

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

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,430 a year and the 25th percentile is $48,260, a fair guide to starting pay.

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

About $57,231 a year ($4,769 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $72,700. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do emergency medical technicians earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?

The average here is 55% more than 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.1%.
  • 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 0.63, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.63).

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