HORRY COUNTY, SC (WBTW) – South Carolina ranks 21st in the nation for emergency medical technician (EMT) salaries, according to a recent study from Frontpoint Security. The average salary for EMTs nationally is $37,760, a higher wage compared to the Palmetto State’s EMT salary averaging $34,570.
South Carolina EMT’s make an average of $16.62 per hour, that’s nearly 40% less than the average American employed. EMTs and paramedics, also have some of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses compared to occupations.
The adjusted salaries shown above shows the sum of all money an individual earns in a year, which may include wages, dividends, alimony, capital gains, interest income, rental income, and retirement distributions.
Horry County Fire Rescue officials reported a minimum pay for EMT’s at $33,048 and a maximum of $49,573. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average EMT in the Pee Dee to make just below the state average at $32,550.
“Everybody wants to get a pay bump and that goes up through our ranks through our supervisors and we get it to county council which has been good to us and understands the needs of our people,” Horry County Fire Rescue Spokesperson Tony Casey said.
EMT employment and salary statistics show a stable trend over the years in South Carolina and nationwide, showing a slight increase over the last two years of most recent data.
However, Horry County Fire Rescue officials say their employees received a generous pay bump recently in 2019. Officials say the salary increase was more than a pay raise, it was also a morale boost.
“Anytime they know that the organization they are working for and the county they are representing keeps them in mind with pay in mind it’s a good thing for them,” Casey said.
