EMTs vs Heavy
Heavy earns $10,490 more at the middle. Every figure is US government data you can check.
| EMTs | Heavy | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay in the middle median annual wage, May 2025 | $48,150 | $58,640 |
| Pay range 10th to 90th percentile | $36,000 to $76,810 | $40,140 to $79,380 |
| Years of school you pay for our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure | 1 | 0.5 |
| Typical entry education | Postsecondary nondegree award | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Jobs opening up each year | 18,200 | 214,500 |
| Growth by 2035 | 5.8% | 3.8% |
| People doing it now | 284,100 | 2,221,200 |
| Where the pay is highest and lowest state medians, not adjusted for cost of living or taxes | $66,410 in Hawaii down to $34,170 in Oklahoma | $70,100 in Alaska down to $49,320 in Louisiana |
Also compared: Automotive Service Technicians vs EMTs Automotive Service Technicians vs Heavy Carpenters vs EMTs Carpenters vs Heavy Dental Assistants vs EMTs Dental Assistants vs Heavy
Jobs that use what you already know
Same skills, same knowledge, same daily tasks. Most of these are not on this site.
EMTs covers 2 separate job codes. “2 of 2” means 2 of those 2 name that job as closely related.
EMTs
- Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians2 of 2
- Surgical Assistants2 of 2
- Registered Nurses2 of 2
- Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses2 of 2
- Acute Care Nurses2 of 2
- Nursing Assistants2 of 2
What these usually take: A trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
Heavy
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Light Truck Drivers
- Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists
- Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors
What these usually take: High school, then a few months to a year of on-the-job training.
O*NET 30.3 Database, U.S. Department of Labor. These are jobs that use similar skills, knowledge and daily tasks. It is a measure of how alike two jobs are — not a record of people moving between them.
Jobs that take more training than this one
A job zone is the U.S. Department of Labor’s published measure of how much preparation a job takes. It says nothing about pay.
EMTs
- Registered Nurses2 of 2Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience. +$47,250 a year more at the middle.
- Acute Care Nurses2 of 2Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
- Critical Care Nurses1 of 2Usually a four-year degree, plus a few years of experience.
Heavy
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine SpecialistsA trade school course, an associate's degree, or one to two years on the job.
O*NET 30.3 Database and O*NET Job Zones, U.S. Department of Labor. A job zone is a published measure of how much preparation an occupation takes, not a measure of pay or of whether a job is better. Pay differences are BLS median annual wages, May 2025, and are shown only where both jobs are on this site.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment and wage data, May 2025, and employment projections 2025-35. Years of school is our own estimate from published entry requirements, not a BLS figure. State medians are not adjusted for cost of living or taxes, and that difference could be large either way. No advice, just data.