EMT and Paramedic Jobs in Oakland, CA
EMTs in Oakland start around $21 an hour on private ambulances such as Eagle Ambulance, and the Oakland Fire Department fills 30 to 35 seats per academy with EMT-carded trainees. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get certified through the Alameda County EMS Agency.
Current EMT Openings in Oakland, CA
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EMT and Paramedic Work in Oakland
Emergency medical work in Oakland runs on two tracks. The 911 side belongs to the Oakland Fire Department and to Falck, which provides emergency ambulance service across Alameda County, a county of about 1.6 million people. The interfacility side, moving patients between the Pill Hill hospitals, Highland Hospital in Highland Park and skilled nursing homes, is where most new EMTs start, with private companies such as Eagle Ambulance, which staffs 10-hour and 24-hour units out of San Leandro, and Royal Ambulance.
What makes Oakland different from the rest of California is the ladder. A new EMT can work an ambulance, move into a hospital emergency department at Kaiser Permanente's Oakland Medical Center on Broadway, or test into the fire department, all without leaving the city. The county also runs the Alameda County EMS Corps, a paid-stipend program that trains young East Bay residents as EMTs, with the Oakland Fire Department as a partner.
Top Oakland Employers Hiring EMTs and Paramedics
EMTs and paramedics are hired by private ambulance companies, the 911 provider, the city fire department and the hospitals on Pill Hill:
- Eagle Ambulance - the private ambulance company is hiring EMTs for Oakland and its San Leandro station, full and part time, starting at $21 an hour.
- Royal Ambulance - runs its Alameda County EMT and flex EMT crews out of San Leandro, just south of the Oakland line.
- Falck - the emergency ambulance provider for Alameda County hires both EMTs and paramedics for its Northern California operation.
- Oakland Fire Department - recruits Firefighter Trainees and Firefighter-Paramedic Trainees, with an EMT card required, for academies in Fall 2026 and Fall 2027.
- Kaiser Permanente - hires Emergency Department Technicians at Oakland Hospital, where EMT experience counts toward the requirement.
EMT and Paramedic Salaries in Oakland
- Entry level: about $18.50 to $21 an hour for new EMTs on private ambulances in Oakland and San Leandro.
- Experienced: about $43 to $45 an hour for Emergency Department Technicians at Kaiser Oakland Hospital, a union role that also requires a California phlebotomy certificate.
- Paramedic and fire: local paramedic and firefighter-paramedic pay is not published on the employers' own job pages, so ask for the current scale when you apply.
These are estimates from current local postings. A paramedic license, 24-hour units and a move into a hospital or fire job raise pay most. Every rate here sits above Oakland's 2026 city minimum wage of $17.34 an hour.
How to Become an EMT or Paramedic in Oakland
EMTs in Alameda County are certified by the Alameda County EMS Agency, and that certification is valid statewide. A National Registry (NREMT) card alone does not let you work as an EMT in California. Merritt College in the Oakland Hills offers EMT 211, a 6-unit Certificate of Proficiency approved by the Alameda County EMS Agency, plus a 2-unit Emergency Medical Responder course; you need to be 16 or older with current CPR, a TB test and the first two Hepatitis B shots. Paramedics are licensed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority and must also be accredited by the Alameda County EMS Agency to work in the county. In the East Bay, Las Positas College in Livermore runs an 18-month, CAAHEP-accredited paramedic program. Ambulance employers also want a California Ambulance Driver's License, a medical examiner's certificate and an AHA BLS card.
What the Job Involves
EMTs assess patients, take vital signs, give oxygen and basic life support, control bleeding, splint injuries and move patients safely by gurney and stair chair. On interfacility units the day is a run of scheduled transfers between hospitals, nursing homes and dialysis centers, with careful charting at each handoff. Paramedics add advanced life support: cardiac monitoring, IV access and medications under protocol.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current California EMT certification and AHA BLS card
- A clean driving record and a California Ambulance Driver's License
- Calm patient assessment and clear radio communication
- Accurate electronic patient care reports
- Safe lifting and patient-movement technique
- Comfort with 10-hour, 24-hour and night shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Most Oakland EMTs start on an interfacility ambulance, log a year or two of calls, then branch. Some move into a hospital emergency department as a technician, often after adding a phlebotomy certificate. Others go to paramedic school at Las Positas College and return to 911 work in Alameda County, and many use the EMT card to test for the Oakland Fire Department's next academy. Later steps include field training officer, supervisor and critical care transport.
Related Careers in Oakland
If emergency medicine interests you, these Oakland guides are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get EMT certified in Oakland?
Complete an EMT course approved by the Alameda County EMS Agency, such as EMT 211 at Merritt College, pass the National Registry exam, then apply to the Alameda County EMS Agency for your California EMT certification. A National Registry card on its own is not enough to work as an EMT in California.
How much do EMTs make in Oakland?
New EMTs on private ambulances in Oakland and San Leandro typically start around $18.50 to $21 an hour. EMTs who move into a hospital emergency department technician role at Kaiser Oakland Hospital can earn about $43 to $45 an hour, though that role also requires a phlebotomy certificate.
Do I need an EMT card to join the Oakland Fire Department?
Yes. The Oakland Fire Department requires an EMT card for its Firefighter Trainee and Firefighter-Paramedic Trainee recruitments, along with a CPAT card. Each academy runs 20 weeks and hires about 30 to 35 trainees.
Is there a paramedic program near Oakland?
Las Positas College in Livermore runs an 18-month, CAAHEP-accredited paramedic program at its Public Safety Complex, approved by the California EMS Authority and the Alameda County EMS Agency. Expect a total cost of roughly $4,500 to $11,500 including fees and the ambulance field internship.
Is there paid EMT training in Oakland?
The Alameda County EMS Corps runs a 5-month EMT training program with a paid stipend for residents aged 18 to 26 with a high school diploma or GED. It is based on San Leandro Boulevard in San Leandro, and the Oakland Fire Department is one of its partners.
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