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Inside an ambulance: a stretcher with orange straps and monitors, where EMTs and paramedics work

EMT classes by state

1,210 EMT (emergency medical technician) and paramedic programs in 49 states and 2 territories, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved EMT classes?

652 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does an EMT do, and how do you become one?

EMTs and paramedics assess injuries and illnesses, give emergency medical care and may take patients to hospital. A basic EMT course usually takes less than a year and the intermediate level up to two, and every state requires a license.1 Every state recognizes National Registry (NREMT) certification as proof of entry-level skill before it issues an EMT license.2

PR7VI2
Approved programsup to 56 to 1819 to 40more than 40

How much do EMT classes cost?

Most EMT and paramedic programs approved for WIOA funding cost $1,275 to $6,862 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $1,203 to $4,534 and two-year degrees $6,693 to $13,015. Prices also differ by state: most cost $197 to $4,762 in North Carolina and $1,635 to $19,572 in North Dakota.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare EMT classes by state: cost, pay and results

EMT classes by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alabama16$2,396 to $11,748Not enough dataLeft out81%
Alaska4Too few figures to show
Arizona25$2,142 to $6,700about $36,000100%46%
Arkansas28$2,670 to $10,788about $42,10075%46%
California49$486 to $1,833about $35,40069%79%
Colorado39$1,589 to $6,345about $50,30065%63%
Connecticut4Too few figures to show
Delaware2Too few figures to show
Florida48$1,685 to $6,100about $40,60086%80%
Georgia49$2,126 to $7,170about $27,90094%53%
Hawaii2Too few figures to show
Idaho4Not enough dataNot reportedLeft outNot enough data
Illinois52Left outNot enough dataNot enough dataNot reported
Indiana40$1,175 to $1,535about $34,60078%78%
Iowa22$1,902 to $13,445about $43,70086%45%
Kansas11$1,471 to $3,060Not enough dataNot enough data90%
Kentucky19$1,391 to $10,892about $30,50078%70%
Louisiana16$1,585 to $4,826about $55,600Left outLeft out
Maine9$1,031 to $2,248about $61,80075%Not enough data
Maryland9$2,598 to $5,990about $32,00080%Not enough data
Massachusetts4Too few figures to show
Michigan48$1,738 to $9,389about $51,70083%69%
Minnesota39$2,007 to $10,129about $28,00085%51%
Mississippi25$675 to $6,000about $51,50093%Left out
Missouri64$1,500 to $10,406Left outNot enough dataNot enough data
Montana3Too few figures to show
Nebraska18$1,105 to $7,598about $35,70083%68%
Nevada19$909 to $1,751Not enough dataLeft out88%
New Hampshire8$892 to $2,124Not enough dataLeft out86%
New Jersey2Too few figures to show
New Mexico28$1,310 to $5,250about $42,10073%Left out
New York5Too few figures to show
North Carolina66$197 to $4,762about $46,80081%55%
North Dakota8$1,635 to $19,572Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Ohio96$1,268 to $6,011Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Oklahoma41$1,319 to $5,495about $35,500Left out99%
Oregon7$3,232 to $14,426Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Pennsylvania18$906 to $1,250Not enough dataLeft out80%
Puerto Rico7$7,085 to $18,015about $11,900Left outLeft out
Rhode Island5$1,075 to $9,033Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
South Carolina2Too few figures to show
South Dakota6$1,654 to $13,144Not enough dataLeft out80%
Tennessee44$2,592 to $7,062about $43,30091%84%
Texas60$2,238 to $8,666about $35,50079%52%
US Virgin Islands2Too few figures to show
Utah17$998 to $3,216about $37,500Left out86%
Virginia20$1,360 to $3,471about $53,80079%94%
Washington40$1,202 to $1,948about $43,50094%88%
West Virginia4Too few figures to show
Wisconsin53$845 to $10,010about $45,80088%74%
Wyoming3Not enough dataNot reportedLeft outNot enough data

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer EMT classes too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

EMT and paramedic school: what the 1,210 programs are

By kind, the 1,210 programs approved for WIOA funding are EMT (598 programs), paramedic (273 programs), paramedic or EMS (associate degree, 203 programs), advanced EMT (99 programs), and 37 more of 3 other kinds.

Across the US, 355 of the 1,210 programs take students without a high school diploma, 603 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 249 ask for earlier courses first and 3 ask for an associate degree.

Are there free EMT classes in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the EMT and paramedic program numbers by state come from

Which EMT and paramedic programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).7 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about EMT classes

Show the 7 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: EMTs and Paramedics
  2. National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians: About Us
  3. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  4. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  5. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  6. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  7. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List