SOC 6132 Caring personal service occupations

Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) Salary

Median salary £31,516 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £32,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For ambulance staff (excluding paramedics), £33,465 is the typical (median) pay. That is below the UK full-time median of £39,039 — -14% versus the national average. Experienced ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) (top 25%) earn over £37,613.

About this role

Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) provide emergency and non-emergency patient transport, first aid and clinical support within ambulance services. They include emergency care assistants, ambulance technicians and patient transport staff who work alongside paramedics.

Key responsibilities

Responding to emergency calls as part of ambulance crews
Providing first aid and basic life support at scene
Transporting patients safely to hospital and between healthcare settings
Operating ambulance equipment and communication systems
Maintaining ambulance vehicles, equipment and supply levels

Qualifications and entry routes

Emergency care assistants complete ambulance trust training programmes including IHCD or FutureQuals qualifications. Patient transport staff require patient handling and first aid training. C1 driving licence is required for emergency ambulance work.

Career outlook

Active recruitment across ambulance services. Provides a pathway into paramedic training through degree apprenticeship routes.

Key skills

Emergency care Patient handling Driving skills Communication under pressure Teamwork

Common industries

NHS ambulance trusts
Patient transport services
Private ambulance providers
Event medical services
Hospital transfer services

Data coverage

SOC code 6132

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2015–2025

Estimated jobs 21,000

Median Salary

£31,516

Mean Salary

£31,328

Jobs (000s)

21k

Data Years

11 years

Salary Range (2025)

P25: £24,967Median: £31,516P75: £37,613

P10: --P25: £25kMedian: £32kP75: £38kP90: --

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£24,967

0-2 years

Mid Level

£24,967

3-7 years

Senior

£37,613

8-15 years

Potential career growth: +51% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2015-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +40.2%Real growth: +1.6%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 0.1%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£31,516

Full-time Only

£33,465

Full-time premium: +£1,949

Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) salary: common questions

How much do ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) earn in the UK?

Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) earn a median of £33,465 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £24,967 and £37,613.

Is £33,465 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)?

Entry-level ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £24,967, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £25,122.

Have ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2015, median ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) pay has risen from £22,989 to £33,465 — +46% in cash terms, or +5.0% after CPIH inflation. That is ahead of inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)?

Male and female ambulance staff (excluding paramedics) earn a similar median (£31,515), with no meaningful gap in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).