Ambulance Drivers and Attendants
O*NET title: Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
Also called: Ambulance Drivers
Drive ambulance or assist ambulance driver in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons. Assist in lifting patients.
Also called: Ambulance Attendant, Ambulance Driver, Chair Car Driver, CPR Ambulance Driver (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation Ambulance Driver), Driver, Driver Medic
Median pay
$35,450
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$27,350 – $45,960
People employed
12,630
Holland code
RSC
Realistic · Social · Conventional
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Do you enjoy serving customers or the public?
- 2.Are you OK working outdoors in all kinds of weather?
- 3.Do you want to lead or coordinate other people’s work?
- 4.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 5.Are you happy talking and working with people most of the day?
- 6.Are you OK repeating the same tasks most of the day?
- 7.Do you want the same hours every week?
The hard parts
- Exposure to disease or infection
- Work outdoors in all weather
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (41 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What ambulance drivers and attendants do
- 01Place patients on stretchers, and load stretchers into ambulances, usually with assistance from other attendants.
- 02Replace supplies and disposable items on ambulances.
- 03Accompany and assist emergency medical technicians on calls.
- 04Earn and maintain appropriate certifications.
- 05Drive ambulances or assist ambulance drivers in transporting sick, injured, or convalescent persons.
- 06Administer first aid, such as bandaging, splinting, or administering oxygen.
Skills that matter most
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
Knowledge
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Transportation
- Public Safety and Security
- Medicine and Dentistry
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
- Stress Tolerance
Education and first steps
O*NET has no education survey data for this job.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
- A professional certification is often expected.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from ambulance drivers and attendants
- Orderlies85% · +8%
- Paramedics84% · +71%
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers83% · −5%
- Physical Therapist Aides76% · −1%
- Nursing Assistants75% · +19%
Change into ambulance drivers and attendants
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers86% · $33,580
- Orderlies85% · $38,290
- Security Guards74% · $38,020
- Funeral Attendants73% · $35,680
- Physical Therapist Aides72% · $35,240
Majors that lead here
- Emergency Care Attendant (EMT Ambulance)
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.