Career profile · 53-3011
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
Drive ambulance or assist ambulance driver in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons. Assist in lifting patients.
What the work can involve
- Place patients on stretchers, and load stretchers into ambulances, usually with assistance from other attendants.
- Replace supplies and disposable items on ambulances.
- Accompany and assist emergency medical technicians on calls.
- Earn and maintain appropriate certifications.
- Drive ambulances or assist ambulance drivers in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons.
- Administer first aid, such as bandaging, splinting, or administering oxygen.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Transportation
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Public Safety and Security
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Performing General Physical Activities
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 85.1%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a month or more but not every week | 39.2%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Every day | 85.6%08/2026 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Once a year or more but not every month | 44.0%08/2026 · sample 20 |
| Spend Time Sitting | About half the time | 65.2%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 51.5%08/2026 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 47.2%08/2026 · sample 23 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 44.1%08/2026 · sample 22 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 90.5%08/2026 · sample 23 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Helpdesk or call center software: Computer aided dispatch software
- Map creation software: Mapping software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 41 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $24,420 | $11.74 | 230 |
| Arkansas | $32,720 | $15.73 | 70 |
| California | $36,150 | $17.38 | 1,420 |
| Colorado | $30,800 | $14.81 | 70 |
| Connecticut | $73,730 | $35.45 | 280 |
| Delaware | $34,400 | $16.54 | 50 |
| Florida | $35,020 | $16.84 | 210 |
| Georgia | $35,950 | $17.28 | 390 |
| Illinois | $36,730 | $17.66 | 610 |
| Indiana | $33,280 | $16.00 | 240 |
| Iowa | $36,090 | $17.35 | 370 |
| Kentucky | $32,850 | $15.79 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $27,410 | $13.18 | 120 |
| Maine | $34,690 | $16.68 | 170 |
| Maryland | $38,410 | $18.47 | 300 |
| Massachusetts | $39,480 | $18.98 | Not published |
| Michigan | $31,770 | $15.28 | Not published |
| Minnesota | $32,670 | $15.71 | Not published |
| Mississippi | $25,170 | $12.10 | 300 |
| Montana | $36,050 | $17.33 | 180 |
| Nebraska | $35,020 | $16.84 | 280 |
| Nevada | $36,440 | $17.52 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $35,730 | $17.18 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $36,170 | $17.39 | 170 |
| New Mexico | $28,700 | $13.80 | 70 |
| New York | $37,230 | $17.90 | 610 |
| North Carolina | $32,450 | $15.60 | Not published |
| North Dakota | $37,690 | $18.12 | 120 |
| Ohio | $35,560 | $17.10 | 410 |
| Oklahoma | $28,140 | $13.53 | Not published |
| Oregon | $40,900 | $19.66 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $32,730 | $15.74 | 1,400 |
| South Carolina | $29,300 | $14.09 | 620 |
| South Dakota | $29,190 | $14.04 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $35,740 | $17.19 | 460 |
| Texas | $31,010 | $14.91 | 550 |
| Utah | $37,660 | $18.11 | 50 |
| Vermont | $35,690 | $17.16 | 40 |
| Virginia | $36,980 | $17.78 | 370 |
| West Virginia | $26,240 | $12.61 | 170 |
| Wisconsin | $37,450 | $18.00 | 230 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 69 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 53-3011.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.