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Paramedics

People classed as Paramedics administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. The skills rated most useful are service orientation, social perceptiveness, and critical thinking. One core duty is to perform emergency cardiac care, such as cardioversion and manual defibrillation. With a code of SRI, this is mostly a job for people drawn to helping, teaching or caring for people. Realistic interests also help, rated 5.2 out of 7. Getting in usually takes one or two years of vocational training, an apprenticeship or an associate’s degree, a level O*NET calls medium preparation. It tends to suit people who want helping, teaching or caring for people, and it offers little for anyone seeking creative work with room for original expression.

What they do

Administer basic or advanced emergency medical care and assess injuries and illnesses. May administer medication intravenously, use equipment such as EKGs, or administer advanced life support to sick or injured individuals.

Main tasks

  • Perform emergency cardiac care, such as cardioversion and manual defibrillation.
  • Perform emergency invasive intervention before delivering patient to an acute care facility.
  • Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel.
  • Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures.
  • Comfort and reassure patients.
  • Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings.

Skills

  • Service Orientation
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Critical Thinking
  • Coordination
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You get energy from helping other people move forward.
  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You are willing to put in a year or two of focused training.
  • You are comfortable relying on service orientation and social perceptiveness.

May not suit you if

  • You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You need to start within a few months, with no training period.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SRI takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.

Preparation

Medium preparation. Expect vocational school, an apprenticeship, related experience or an associate’s degree, usually one or two years in total.

Also called

  • Critical Care Paramedic
  • Firefighter Paramedic
  • First Responder
  • Flight Paramedic

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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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.