Flight nurse and flight paramedic salary: state baselines
There is no official government wage series for flight nurses or flight paramedics. The best public baseline is the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for registered nurses and paramedics overall. Below are the May 2025 median wages by state.
Read this first: these are baselines for all RNs and all paramedics, not flight crews. Flight roles often pay above these baselines because they require years of critical care or ALS experience, transport certifications (CFRN, FP-C), and 24-hour shifts. Pay varies a lot by program, region, and shift model. We don't publish flight-specific numbers we can't source. Check the posted ranges on operator careers pages.
| State | RN median annual | RN median hourly | Paramedic median annual | Paramedic median hourly | Bases listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $77,080 | $37.06 | $48,540 | $23.34 | 17 |
| Alaska | $109,480 | $52.64 | $71,860 | $34.55 | 16 |
| Arizona | $99,500 | $47.84 | $58,600 | $28.17 | 60 |
| Arkansas | $78,940 | $37.95 | $50,310 | $24.19 | 22 |
| California | $140,270 | $67.44 | $74,590 | $35.86 | 69 |
| Colorado | $100,260 | $48.20 | $63,910 | $30.73 | 35 |
| Connecticut | $102,740 | $49.39 | $77,480 | $37.25 | 2 |
| Delaware | $99,520 | $47.85 | $64,240 | $30.88 | 2 |
| District of Columbia | $102,540 | $49.30 | $78,550 | $37.77 | 2 |
| Florida | $84,190 | $40.48 | $60,140 | $28.91 | 39 |
| Georgia | $93,550 | $44.98 | $57,660 | $27.72 | 32 |
| Hawaii | $136,320 | $65.54 | $81,280 | $39.08 | 12 |
| Idaho | $92,460 | $44.45 | $60,380 | $29.03 | 15 |
| Illinois | $95,990 | $46.15 | $60,660 | $29.16 | 31 |
| Indiana | $83,500 | $40.14 | $60,320 | $29.00 | 17 |
| Iowa | $78,630 | $37.80 | $60,590 | $29.13 | 18 |
| Kansas | $79,320 | $38.14 | $51,020 | $24.53 | 16 |
| Kentucky | $81,040 | $38.96 | $49,890 | $23.99 | 31 |
| Louisiana | $80,230 | $38.57 | $56,050 | $26.95 | 18 |
| Maine | $86,990 | $41.82 | $63,050 | $30.31 | 3 |
| Maryland | $99,790 | $47.98 | $66,660 | $32.05 | 9 |
| Massachusetts | $104,550 | $50.27 | $66,340 | $31.89 | 7 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $45.34 | $52,080 | $25.04 | 10 |
| Minnesota | $101,510 | $48.80 | $76,300 | $36.68 | 20 |
| Mississippi | $77,090 | $37.06 | $54,630 | $26.27 | 16 |
| Missouri | $81,780 | $39.32 | $59,180 | $28.45 | 32 |
| Montana | $85,280 | $41.00 | $50,890 | $24.47 | 12 |
| Nebraska | $84,730 | $40.74 | $56,230 | $27.04 | 9 |
| Nevada | $103,670 | $49.84 | $59,280 | $28.50 | 24 |
| New Hampshire | $99,700 | $47.93 | $64,210 | $30.87 | 3 |
| New Jersey | $106,500 | $51.20 | $86,630 | $41.65 | 5 |
| New Mexico | $94,340 | $45.36 | $55,530 | $26.70 | 22 |
| New York | $109,440 | $52.62 | $73,200 | $35.19 | 19 |
| North Carolina | $84,350 | $40.56 | $57,320 | $27.56 | 28 |
| North Dakota | $80,730 | $38.81 | $62,320 | $29.96 | 7 |
| Ohio | $82,510 | $39.67 | $51,300 | $24.67 | 29 |
| Oklahoma | $82,920 | $39.87 | $46,790 | $22.50 | 24 |
| Oregon | $129,010 | $62.02 | $74,840 | $35.98 | 21 |
| Pennsylvania | $96,430 | $46.36 | $61,000 | $29.33 | 36 |
| Rhode Island | $100,640 | $48.39 | $63,550 | $30.55 | |
| South Carolina | $82,360 | $39.60 | $53,550 | $25.74 | 10 |
| South Dakota | $78,060 | $37.53 | $48,830 | $23.48 | 6 |
| Tennessee | $81,500 | $39.18 | $57,690 | $27.74 | 40 |
| Texas | $95,970 | $46.14 | $57,500 | $27.65 | 82 |
| Utah | $84,600 | $40.67 | $65,420 | $31.45 | 21 |
| Vermont | $97,460 | $46.86 | $60,360 | $29.02 | |
| Virginia | $93,600 | $45.00 | $60,480 | $29.08 | 23 |
| Washington | $124,200 | $59.71 | $104,310 | $50.15 | 22 |
| West Virginia | $80,130 | $38.52 | $48,460 | $23.30 | 13 |
| Wisconsin | $95,530 | $45.93 | $59,710 | $28.71 | 16 |
| Wyoming | $83,760 | $40.27 | $64,040 | $30.79 | 14 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 state estimates: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141) and Paramedics (SOC 29-2043). BLS OEWS tables (state data file). "n/a" means BLS did not publish an estimate. Accessed 2026-10-17.
Why flight pay is different
- Experience: programs hire experienced clinicians (CAMTS requires 3 years / 4,000 hours of critical care experience for nurses and ALS experience for paramedics; see Basic Requirements).
- Shift model: many programs use 24-hour shifts, which changes hourly vs annual comparisons.
- Employer type: hospital-based and independent operators pay differently, and pay differs between nurses and paramedics at many programs.