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UK · Health · Emergency care

Paramedic

A paramedic science degree, a degree apprenticeship, or a student paramedic job with an ambulance service. "Paramedic" is a protected title: you must be on the HCPC register.

See the route Pay by region
Typical UK pay (median)£53,818Paramedics, full time, per year
ONS
Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2025 provisional, tables 14 and 15Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Checked
9 Oct 2026

Medians for full-time employee jobs. ONS hides estimates it rates unreliable (CV over 20%).

View source
Licensed or registered byHCPCHealth and Care Professions Council. Protected title: registration required
HCPC
Professions and protected titlesHealth and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Checked
23 Oct 2026

To use a protected title (including paramedic and physiotherapist) a person must be registered with the HCPC.

View source
Top 25% earn over£60,860ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional)
Full-time jobs in the UK32,000Employees, rounded by ONS

How to get there

2 routes. Paramedic science degree · Degree apprenticeship or student paramedic

Paramedic science degree HCPC

A degree approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.

  1. School2 or 3 A levels

    Including a science.

    NCS
    Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026
    View source

  2. DegreeParamedic science degree: 3 years full time

    Extra money may come from the NHS Learning Support Fund.

    NCS
    Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026
    View source

  3. RegisterRegister with the HCPC

    NCS
    Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026
    View source

  4. GoalParamedic

    HCPC
    Professions and protected titlesHealth and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026

    To use a protected title (including paramedic and physiotherapist) a person must be registered with the HCPC.

    View source

Degree apprenticeship or student paramedic Work + study

Earn while you train with an ambulance service.

  1. Level 6Paramedic Degree Apprenticeship: 3 years

    Or a student paramedic training scheme with an ambulance trust.

    NCS
    Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026
    View source

  2. RegisterRegister with the HCPC

    NCS
    Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026
    View source

  3. GoalParamedic

    HCPC
    Professions and protected titlesHealth and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026

    To use a protected title (including paramedic and physiotherapist) a person must be registered with the HCPC.

    View source

Start lower down?
Ambulance care assistants and emergency medical technicians (associate ambulance practitioners) can apply for paramedic training later.
NCS
Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
Checked
23 Oct 2026
View source

At school

GCSEs (Years 10–11) and A levels (Years 12–13), or equivalents.

GCSEs
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 plus A levels for a degree apprenticeship.
NCS
Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
Checked
23 Oct 2026
View source
A levels
2 or 3 A levels including a science, or equivalent, for a degree.
NCS
Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
Checked
23 Oct 2026
View source
UCAS points
An A* = 56 points. Many courses ask for grades instead of points.
UCAS
The new UCAS Tariff: ten things applicants need to knowUCAS
Checked
9 Oct 2026

An A* at A level is worth 56 Tariff points. Only about a third of courses use Tariff points in their entry requirements; most ask for grades.

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Pay by region

Pay is in pounds (£) per year, before tax, for full-time employees. ASHE counts employees only, so self-employed people (most barristers, many contractors) are not in these figures.

Paramedics SOC 2255

  • UK median £53,818
  • Bottom 25% under £45,499
  • Top 25% over £60,860
Paramedics: median full-time pay by UK region, highest first
Region (where people work)Median payJobsHow exact
Scotland£61,355—Good
London£60,797—Good
South East£47,734—Rough estimate
West Midlands£46,960—Rough estimate
Yorkshire and The Humber£44,704—Rough estimate

Regions where ONS did not publish a reliable figure are left out. "Rough estimate" = ONS rates it CV 10–20%: use it with care.

ONS
ASHE 2025 provisional, table 15: work region by occupation (4-digit SOC 2020)Office for National Statistics (ONS)
Checked
9 Oct 2026

A region is listed only where ONS published a median for that job.

View source

Starting vs experienced (National Careers Service)

  • Paramedic: starter £32,000 · experienced £48,000
    NCS
    Paramedic — job profileNational Careers Service (GOV.UK)
    Checked
    23 Oct 2026
    View source
Pay: ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional), tables 14 and 15, full-time employees. Routes and rules: the official sites linked on each row, checked 23 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not rank universities or recommend paid courses.