Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Emergency Medical Technicians are hardest to fill
Keep California San Jose near $54,650 while the role is still unposted.
Show California Seattle wage $55,700 and nobody swaps in a national midpoint.
Name California Minneapolis wage $49,970 rather than hiding the cell.
Put California Washington wage $49,250 before someone copies a midpoint.
Each metro
1San Jose, CA
- Score
- 7.8
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.63
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.732
- Metro median
- $54,650
- Pay ratio
- 1.23
2Seattle, WA
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.53
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.619
- Metro median
- $55,700
- Pay ratio
- 1.25
3Minneapolis, MN
- Score
- 7.6
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.66
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.763
- Metro median
- $49,970
- Pay ratio
- 1.12
4Washington, DC
- Score
- 7.6
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.47
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.551
- Metro median
- $49,250
- Pay ratio
- 1.11
5Portland, OR
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.74
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.863
- Metro median
- $52,010
- Pay ratio
- 1.17
6Raleigh, NC
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.806
- Metro median
- $49,160
- Pay ratio
- 1.11
7New York, NY
- Score
- 7.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 1.25
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.452
- Metro median
- $53,820
- Pay ratio
- 1.21
8Nashville, TN
- Score
- 7.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.73
- Jobs per 1,000
- 0.843
- Metro median
- $47,990
- Pay ratio
- 1.08
9Atlanta, GA
- Score
- 7.1
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.92
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.070
- Metro median
- $47,500
- Pay ratio
- 1.07
10Milwaukee, WI
- Score
- 7.1
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.88
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.017
- Metro median
- $48,880
- Pay ratio
- 1.10
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 7.8 | Hard | 0.63 | 0.732 | $54,650 | 1.23 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | 7.7 | Hard | 0.53 | 0.619 | $55,700 | 1.25 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | 7.6 | Hard | 0.66 | 0.763 | $49,970 | 1.12 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | 7.6 | Hard | 0.47 | 0.551 | $49,250 | 1.11 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | 7.4 | Hard | 0.74 | 0.863 | $52,010 | 1.17 |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | 7.4 | Hard | 0.69 | 0.806 | $49,160 | 1.11 |
| 7 | New York, NY | 7.2 | Hard | 1.25 | 1.452 | $53,820 | 1.21 |
| 8 | Nashville, TN | 7.2 | Hard | 0.73 | 0.843 | $47,990 | 1.08 |
| 9 | Atlanta, GA | 7.1 | Hard | 0.92 | 1.070 | $47,500 | 1.07 |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | 7.1 | Hard | 0.88 | 1.017 | $48,880 | 1.10 |
Takeaways
- State California Portland as $52,010 so the comparison stays on the table.
- Give California Raleigh figure $49,160 rather than a round number from memory.
- Read California New York as $53,820 before a national midpoint replaces it.
- Take California Nashville at $47,990 ahead of the posting you want.
For recruiters
- Leave California Atlanta at $47,500 so local pay stays visible.
- Log California San Jose as $54,650 inside the Hiring Pack for this opening.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Emergency Medical Technicians (29-2042) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $54,650 is stated as about $54.7K. a comparison of 1.23 is stated as 23 percent. $44,470 is stated as about $44.5K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
A Hiring Pack starts from the role and the city on the req.
First Hiring Pack free.
Then Was $24Now $0.99 per req report.
Or Was $149Now $19.99/month unlimited.