Paramedic
Also advertised as: Ambulance Technician, Emergency Care Assistant, Newly Qualified Paramedic, Paramedic, Student Paramedic, Urgent Care Practitioner
Provides emergency assessment and treatment to patients outside hospital.
What the job involves
Paramedics respond to 999 calls, assess and treat patients at scene, make decisions about hospital conveyance and manage life-threatening emergencies. Entry is via a paramedic science degree or a degree apprenticeship, plus HCPC registration.
Typical responsibilities
- Respond to emergency and urgent calls
- Assess and treat patients at scene
- Administer medicines and clinical interventions
- Decide on conveyance or community referral
- Complete detailed clinical records
Common employers
- NHS ambulance trusts
- Air ambulance charities
- Event medical providers
- Offshore and industrial medics
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£29,000 – £33,000 a year
With experience
£37,000 – £47,000 a year
Typical hours
Shift based, 37.5 hours including nights
Working environment
On the road and at incident scenes
Remote working
on_site
Demand for this work
high
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Clinical assessment
- Decision making under pressure
- Emergency driving
- Resilience
- Teamwork
Transferable skills you may already have
- First aid experience
- Staying calm in a crisis
- Physical fitness
Requirements employers ask for
- Clinical assessment
- Decision making under pressure
- Emergency driving
- Resilience
- Teamwork
- Paramedic Science degree or degree apprenticeship
- HCPC registration
- C1 driving entitlement
- HCPC registration
- Enhanced DBS
- Emergency response driving qualification
Useful but not essential
- First aid experience
- Staying calm in a crisis
- Physical fitness
- Advanced practice qualifications
- Critical care training
Helpful qualifications
- Advanced practice qualifications
- Critical care training
Licences and checks
- HCPC registration
- Enhanced DBS
- Emergency response driving qualification
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Paramedic (Level 6)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: Paramedic science
- Related subject: Biology
- Related subject: Sport science
Where this career can lead
next
Specialist Paramedic
next
Advanced Paramedic
next
Clinical Team Leader
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Highly respected clinical career
- Apprenticeship route available
- Varied and never repetitive
What people find hard
- Exposure to trauma
- Physically demanding shifts
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a paramedic?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. required
- How much does a paramedic earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £29,000 to £33,000 a year, rising towards £47,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include First aid experience, Staying calm in a crisis, Physical fitness.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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