Emergency Medical Technicians
Machines can already do 17% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 42%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Emergency Medical Technicians in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 17% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 0% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2038, and 42% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 180,510 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $44,470 a year.
- Also called: Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), First Responder.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drive mobile intensive care unit to specified location, following instructions from emergency medical dispatcher | 18% | 27% to 64% | |
| Administer first aid treatment or life support care to sick or injured persons in prehospital settings | 12% | 3% to 25% | |
| Observe, record, and report to physician the patient's condition or injury, the treatment provided, and reactions to drugs or treatment | 12% | 42% to 67% | |
| Assess nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize medical procedures | 9% | 3% to 25% | |
| Maintain vehicles and medical and communication equipment, and replenish first aid equipment and supplies | 9% | 3% to 25% | |
| Comfort and reassure patients | 6% | 9% to 26% | |
| Communicate with dispatchers or treatment center personnel to provide information about situation, to arrange reception of survivors, or to receive instructions for further treatment | 6% | 27% to 51% | |
| Coordinate work with other emergency medical team members or police or fire department personnel | 6% | 27% to 51% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills emergency medical technicians use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Paramedics39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $60,600
- Midwives41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $65,790
- Athletic Trainers39% of tasks by 2035 · US median $62,520
- Physical Therapists41% of tasks by 2035 · US median $102,760
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Emergency Medical Technicians?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2038. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of emergency medical technicians?
Machines can do 17% of the tasks of emergency medical technicians today and 42% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-2042.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Emergency Medical Technicians: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/emergency-medical-technicians/