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Ambulance Services
American Medical Response (AMR), Acadian Ambulance, Falck
Home / All Jobs / Healthcare / Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
These workers drive ambulances or help move sick, injured, or recovering patients, and they often back up EMTs with basic care like bandaging, splinting, and oxygen use. The job is distinct because it mixes driving, patient handling, and vehicle readiness in one shift, but the tradeoff is that the pay is modest and the occupation is shrinking slightly even though the work stays hands-on and physically demanding.
Also known as Ambulance AttendantAmbulance DriverAmbulance Driver/AttendantAmbulance Service DriverAmbulance Transport Attendant
Median Salary
$34,330
Mean $35,550
U.S. Workforce
~12K
1.4K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+-1.3%
12.3K to 12.1K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians sits in the Healthcare category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~12K workers, with a median annual pay of $34,330 and roughly 1.4K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to decline from 12.3 K in 2024 to 12.1K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High School Diploma or Equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Patient Transporter / EMS Trainee and can progress toward EMS Transport Supervisor. High-value skills usually include First Aid, CPR & Oxygen Equipment, Defensive Driving, Ambulance Operation & Road Safety, and Stretcher Loading, Patient Securing & Safe Lifting, paired with soft skills such as Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and Active Listening.
Core Responsibilities
- Help lift patients onto stretchers and secure them safely inside the ambulance.
- Drive the ambulance, or assist the driver, when transporting patients to hospitals or other care facilities.
- Give basic first aid at the scene, such as bandaging wounds, splinting injuries, or starting oxygen.
- Work alongside EMTs during calls and help with patient transport and support tasks.
Keep exploring: more Healthcare careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Help lift patients onto stretchers and secure them safely inside the ambulance.
02 Drive the ambulance, or assist the driver, when transporting patients to hospitals or other care facilities.
03 Give basic first aid at the scene, such as bandaging wounds, splinting injuries, or starting oxygen.
04 Work alongside EMTs during calls and help with patient transport and support tasks.
05 Tell hospital staff or law enforcement what happened and pass along important details about the incident.
06 Clean the ambulance, restock supplies, replace disposable items, and handle simple maintenance checks.
Industries That Hire
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Hospitals & Health Systems
HCA Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Ascension
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Senior Living & Long-Term Care
Brookdale Senior Living, Genesis HealthCare, Encompass Health
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Funeral & Mortuary Services
Service Corporation International, Dignity Memorial, Carriage Services
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Government & Public Safety
FDNY, Chicago Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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It is relatively easy to enter compared with many healthcare jobs: the usual starting point is a high school diploma, no experience is required, and employers provide moderate-term on-the-job training.
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The work is hands-on and direct, so you are helping people in a concrete way instead of sitting at a desk all day.
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You use a mix of skills every shift, including driving, lifting, basic first aid, communication, and keeping equipment ready.
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There are still job openings because people move in and out of the field; employment is about 12,080 with roughly 1.4 thousand openings a year.
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Pay is modest but not trivial for a non-degree job, with a median annual wage of $34,330 and a mean of $35,550.
Challenges
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The pay ceiling is low for the amount of responsibility involved, so this can be a hard job to stay in long term if you need higher income.
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Employment is projected to fall from 12.3 thousand to 12.1 thousand by 2034, a -1.3% change, so the field is not expanding.
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The work is physically demanding because you have to lift stretchers, move patients, and clean and restock vehicles.
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The job can be emotionally and medically stressful because you are close to injuries, illness, and emergency scenes even when you are not the lead responder.
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Career growth can be limited unless you retrain for EMT, paramedic, or supervision work, so the role often functions more as a support job than a long-term ladder.
Career Progression
Patient Transporter / EMS Trainee
0-1 years
$28K-$32K
Learn patient-handling basics, safety procedures, and how transport teams work before taking on full ambulance duties.
Ambulance Driver and Attendant
1-3 years
$33K-$38K
Handle patient transport, basic first aid, vehicle readiness, and communication with EMTs and hospital staff.
Senior Ambulance Attendant / Crew Lead THIS ROLE
3-6 years
$39K-$45K
Take more complex calls, help train newer staff, and oversee the ambulance's condition and supplies.
EMS Transport Supervisor
6-10 years
$46K-$58K
Coordinate schedules, review procedures, and manage a team that keeps transport operations running safely and on time.
Education Paths
High School Diploma or Equivalent
The most common entry point, held by 56.27% of workers in this role.
Some College Courses
A common alternative route, used by 23.13% of workers in this role.
Post-Secondary Certificate
Another alternative chosen by 19.58% of workers in this role.
CPR, First Aid, and Emergency Vehicle Operator Training
A practical non-degree path for people who want job-specific training before or alongside moderate on-the-job instruction.
Key Skills
Technical
First Aid, CPR & Oxygen Equipment 76%
Defensive Driving, Ambulance Operation & Road Safety 74%
Stretcher Loading, Patient Securing & Safe Lifting 72%
EMS Radio Communication, Dispatch Software & Incident Reporting 68%
Vehicle Inspection, Cleaning & Basic Maintenance 66%
Infection Control, PPE & Biohazard Cleanup 64%
Soft Skills
Critical ThinkingService OrientationActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessSpeakingReading Comprehension Job Outlook and Trends
+-1.3%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.4K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 12.3K to 12.1 K over the next decade, representing -1.3% growth. Around 1.4 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.