Paramedics

Emergency Medical Assistants (EMAs) provide emergency medical care outside of hospitals, responding to 911 calls and transferring patients between facilities for advanced treatment. In B.C., there are five levels of EMA employed in the public sector: 

• Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) are licensed to administer basic life-saving emergency medical care. 
• Primary Care Paramedics (PCPs) are licensed to administer more advanced patient care than EMRs. The majority of BC paramedics are PCPs and they handle most 911 calls;  
• Advanced Care Paramedics (ACPs) specialize in advanced care of medical and trauma patients with a focus on advanced cardiac resuscitation; 
• Critical Care Paramedics (CCPs) deliver the highest level of specialized care with a focus on acute interfacility transport, air medical response, and infant, child and perinatal care, for critically ill or injured patients. 
• Infant Transport Team (ITT) are specialized paramedics trained to provide interfacility care and transport to critically ill and injured patients in the high-risk maternity, neonatal and pediatric populations. 

For more information, see the BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) site.

In B.C., Emergency Medical Assistants are trained and licensed at six distinct license levels, with each level encompassing and building upon the skills and knowledge of the preceding level. Each license level requires an independent training program and licensing examination.  

See a list of licensed and accredited training programs in B.C. 

Paramedics work across British Columbia, from the larger urban and metro cities to the beautiful rural and remote corners of the province. To learn more about where paramedics are being hired, visit the BCEHS website.

British Columbia’s publicly funded health authorities offer comprehensive compensation packages for regular-status employees, including employer-paid benefits.

• Wages: 
  • Emergency Medical Responder: $30.36 – $39.21 CAD per hour (as of April 1, 2024), plus applicable shift premiums.  
  • Primary Care Paramedic: $32.30 – $45.13 CAD per hour (as of April 1, 2024), plus applicable shift premiums.  
  • Advanced Care Paramedic: $43.81 – $55.85 CAD per hour (as of April 1, 2024), plus applicable shift premiums.  
  • Critical Care Paramedic/Infant Transport Team: $51.26 – $63.32 CAD per hour (as of April 1, 2024), plus applicable shift premiums.  
• Paid Vacation Time, increasing with years of service. 
• Pension Plan 
• BC Medical Services Plan (MSP) 
• Extended Health Care 
• Dental Coverage 
• Life Insurance 
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability 
• Employee and Family Assistance Plan 

Paramedics who have been trained outside of B.C. may be able to have their training recognized. The Emergency Medical Assistant Licensing Board (EMALB) has processes to review and determine eligibility for individuals from other Canadian provinces or territories or from other countries. For more information see the out-of-province applicants page.