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Paramedic

Alternative titles for this job include Ambulance paramedic

Paramedics respond to emergency call-outs and give people life-saving medical help.

Average salary (a year)

£31,000 Starter

to

£47,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

37 to 42

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

Meet Anya and Frazer

Find out the different routes Anya and Frazer took to become paramedics.

1 minute 50 second watch

View transcript

Anya: Hello, I'm Anya.

Frazer: Hello, I'm Frazer.

Anya: And we are paramedics working for East Midlands Ambulance Service.

I was 20 at the time, working as a waitress and I just one day thought, do you know what, let's Google the role of a paramedic. And I was working my way through this list, and I was like a job role that's challenging? Absolutely. A job role where no two days are the same? Count me in. So I applied for a full-time undergraduate degree through university.

Frazer: So I did the associate ambulance practitioner route which is the AAP course. Was doing that role for two years, including my time as training, and then did the apprenticeship route through the ambulance service to be a paramedic, which allowed me to be part-time at university, as well as earning and working on the road for the Trust.

Anya: How can you get bored of a job where you can't complete it? There's no sort of set curriculum where you learn it all, and that's it. You ticked it off and you plateau. You come into work every day, you're constantly learning new things. You’re constantly having new experiences. It's just not something you could ever get bored of.

Frazer: it's the changeability of the role. Everything, every day is something different. It keeps you interested, it keeps you going, it keeps you thinking. You're having to use... think on your feet. As well as using your experience and knowledge you got previously. And it's that knowledge that you're helping the wider community. You're doing something good.

Voiceover: Clinical demonstrations in this video were made using a mannequin model. When treating and assessing patients on the frontline, ambulance staff use enhanced levels of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to those shown in this video. Not using PPE where it is not required to protect patients supports the NHS Net Zero ambition by preventing unnecessary waste from going to landfill.

How to become

Explore the different ways to get into this role.

How to become

You can get into this work through:

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
  • a trainee scheme

University

You'll need to do a paramedic science degree approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.

Full-time courses usually take 3 years.

You may be able to get extra student financial support through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including a science, for a degree

More Information

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Paramedic Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship.

This takes 3 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and classroom learning.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

More Information

Work

You could start as an ambulance care assistant or an emergency medical technician, also known as an associate ambulance practitioner (AAP).

With experience you could apply for a place on a paramedic training scheme. You would need to check the application and entry requirements with individual ambulance service trusts.

Volunteering

Entry to paramedic courses is very competitive and it may help you if you have some relevant experience or training. You could:

  • volunteer as a first responder with a charity or social enterprise, like St John Ambulance
  • volunteer with an NHS ambulance trust
  • work at a residential care home or day care centre
  • get a first aid certificate
  • work in an office-based job for an ambulance service

You can find more information on how to get relevant healthcare work experience from Health Careers

Other Routes

You could apply for a training scheme as a student paramedic with an ambulance service. You would study for a university paramedic qualification while working at the same time.

More Information

Registration

Career tips

When applying for degree courses or apprenticeships, you'll be expected to show an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the College of Paramedics and get access to courses, conferences and workshops to keep your skills up to date. You can also swap ideas with colleagues in the profession.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a paramedic from the College of Paramedics and Health Careers.

What it takes

Find out what skills you’ll use in this role.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of healthcare and medicine
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • customer service skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • knowledge of public safety and security
  • to be flexible and open to change
  • the ability to work well with others
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

Many ambulance services will expect you to have a full driving licence by the time you finish your training and preferably a C1 driving licence that allows you to drive medium-sized vehicles.

What you’ll do

Discover the day to day tasks you’ll do in this role.

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

As an ambulance paramedic, you could:

  • respond to emergency calls
  • assess situations when you arrive and check details with others at the scene, like the police
  • work calmly and quickly to stabilise patients
  • use a defibrillator to revive patients
  • give patients medicines and injections
  • help to deliver babies
  • attend non-emergency calls and decide whether patients need to go to hospital
  • check equipment regularly and keep accurate records
  • reassure family and members of the public who are on the scene

Working environment

You could work on an ambulance, at a client's home or in the community.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors some of the time.

You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.

Career path and progression

Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities.

Career path and progression

With at least 2 years' experience and extra training, you could become:

You could also move into operations management, education and training, or train to work in other areas of healthcare, for example nursing.

Current opportunities

Find apprenticeships, courses and jobs available near you.

Current opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a paramedic right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Access to Health Science (Blended)

  • Provider: HEART OF YORKSHIRE EDUCATION GROUP
  • Start date: 01 September 2025
  • Location: Selby

Access to Health Professions L3

  • Provider: BURTON AND SOUTH DERBYSHIRE COLLEGE
  • Start date: 09 September 2025
  • Location: Burton on Trent
Find courses near you

Jobs In the United Kingdom

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