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Emergency Medical Technicians

Emergency Medical Technicians score 21 out of 100, which is moderate exposure to AI. That ranks #630 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 12 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 2 on its own and 1 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 2 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

21/ 100
Moderate
Rank
#630of 923 jobs
US workers
180,510BLS, May 2025
Median pay
$44,470a year
In real AI use
2 of 12tasks, April–May 2026

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

  • AI can speed this up on its own: 2 (17%)
  • AI can speed this up with extra software: 1 (8%)
  • Little or no AI speed-up: 9 (75%)
  • Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge.AI can speed this up on its own
  • Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment.AI can speed this up on its own
  • Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of victims, or to receive instructions for further treatment.AI can speed this up with extra software
  • Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.Little or no AI speed-up
  • Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.Little or no AI speed-up · Seen in real AI use
  • Comfort and reassure patients.Little or no AI speed-up · Seen in real AI use
  • Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.Little or no AI speed-up
  • Decontaminate ambulance interior following treatment of patient with infectious disease, and report case to proper authorities.Little or no AI speed-up
  • Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher.Little or no AI speed-up
  • Immobilize patient for placement on stretcher and ambulance transport, using backboard or other spinal immobilization device.Little or no AI speed-up
  • Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first aid equipment and supplies.Little or no AI speed-up
  • Perform emergency diagnostic and treatment procedures, such as stomach suction, airway management, or heart monitoring, during ambulance ride.Little or no AI speed-up

Similar jobs, lower exposure

Related occupations that score at least 10 points lower.

Other jobs in this field

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical occupations close to this one.

Questions about emergency medical technicians and AI

Will AI replace emergency medical technicians?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Emergency Medical Technicians score 21 out of 100 (moderate exposure), #630 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 3 of the job's 12 tasks, 2 of them on its own, while 9 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which emergency medical technicians tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Attend training classes to maintain certification licensure, keep abreast of new developments in the field, or maintain existing knowledge"; "Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment".

Which emergency medical technicians tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings"; "Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures"; "Comfort and reassure patients".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 2 of the 12 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as emergency medical technicians, and what do they earn?

About 180,510 people in the US, with median pay of $44,470 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.

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