OSCA 269432

Paramedic

Overview

  • Employed persons

    14,300

  • Employment status

    86.7% Full time

    13.3% Part time

  • Median age

    35 years

  • Employment by sex

    46.8% Female

    53.2% Male

    Gender balanced

  • Indigenous employment share

    2.2%

  • Main employing industry

    Health Care and Social Assistance

Indicator Paramedic Total employment
Employed persons 14,300 12,049,400
Median age 35 years 40 years
Full-time share 86.7% 64.2%
Part-time share 13.3% 35.8%
Female employment share 46.8% 48.5%
Male employment share 53.2% 51.5%
Gender segregation intensity scale Gender balanced Gender balanced
Indigenous employment share 2.2% 2.2%
Main employing industry Health Care and Social Assistance Health Care and Social Assistance
Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

Occupation overview

Paramedics assess, diagnose, treat and provide specialised health care and life support treatment for patients in a range of settings, including medical emergencies, in an out-of-hospital environment.

What the occupation involves

  • Attends accidents and medical emergencies
  • Assesses, manages, diagnoses and treats patients with life-threatening and non-life-threatening injuries and conditions, on site and on the way to the hospital
  • Documents and provides medication to assist in treating patient symptoms
  • Prepares reports on the state of patients' injuries and treatment provided
  • Briefs other medical staff on patients' conditions and vitals
  • Performs resuscitation and uses life support equipment such as a defibrillator, to revive and stabilise patients
  • May transport sick and injured patients to health care facilities
  • May attend public gatherings where medical help may be needed, such as sporting or community events

Common occupation titles

No alternative occupation titles are listed for this occupation.

Specialisations

No specialisations are listed for this occupation.

Skill level (education and experience level)

Skill level 1
equivalent to a university level qualification (Bachelor degree or higher).

Note: While skill levels are described using formal education levels, some people use a combination of informal learning, on-the-job training and personal experience to achieve an equivalent level.

Licensing or registration requirements

Registration or licensing is required.

OSCA structure

Employment

On this page

    Industries

    Top 10 most common industries, 2021

    Paramedic Total employment
    Industry Share of occupation Industry Share of occupation
    Health Care and Social Assistance 97.0% Health Care and Social Assistance 14.5%
    Mining 0.9% Retail Trade 9.1%
    Public Administration and Safety 0.8% Construction 8.9%
    Transport, Postal and Warehousing 0.4% Education and Training 8.8%
    Education and Training 0.2% Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 7.8%
    Administrative and Support Services 0.1% Public Administration and Safety 6.6%
    Arts and Recreation Services <0.1% Accommodation and Food Services 6.5%
    Financial and Insurance Services <0.1% Manufacturing 5.9%
    Manufacturing <0.1% Transport, Postal and Warehousing 4.5%
    Other Services <0.1% Financial and Insurance Services 3.7%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    States and territories

    Employment distribution by states and territories, 2021

    • New South Wales

      28.5%

    • Victoria

      27.2%

    • Queensland

      26.1%

    • South Australia

      7.0%

    • Tasmania

      2.6%

    • Northern Territory

      0.8%

    • Australian Capital Territory

      1.0%

    Paramedic Total employment
    State / Territory Employment Share of occupation Employment Share of occupation
    New South Wales 4,100 28.5% 3,684,200 30.6%
    Victoria 3,900 27.2% 3,162,900 26.2%
    Queensland 3,700 26.1% 2,444,100 20.3%
    South Australia 990 7.0% 839,400 7.0%
    Western Australia 980 6.9% 1,306,200 10.8%
    Tasmania 370 2.6% 254,700 2.1%
    Northern Territory 110 0.8% 107,000 0.9%
    Australian Capital Territory 150 1.0% 248,600 2.1%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    Age and sex

    Employment distibution by age group and sex, 2021

    Paramedic

    Total employment

    Age group Paramedic Total employment
    15–24 years 8.3% 14.3%
    25–34 years 39.6% 22.7%
    35–44 years 22.1% 22.3%
    45–54 years 18.9% 20.4%
    55–64 years 10.1% 15.3%
    65–74 years 1.0% 4.3%
    75 years and over 0.0% 0.6%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.
    Sex Paramedic Total employment
    Female 46.8% 48.5%
    Male 53.2% 51.5%
    Note: N/A values indicate data are not available due to confidentiality or data reliability requirements.

    On this page

      OSCA occupation profiles data

      This file contains data available from the OSCA Occupation Profile page.

      Use of this data must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      OSCA Occupation data - 2021 Census.xlsx

      xlsx 1236447

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      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA)

      Occupation Standard Classification for Australia (OSCA) is the skill-based classification used to categorise occupations across the Australian labour market. OSCA is used to define occupations across all official occupational statistics. OSCA replaces the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

      Each job is classified to one, and only one, group of jobs at each level of the classification with no overlaps. This prevents the accidental double-counting of roles within the Australian labour market. For more information about OSCA, visit the What is OSCA information page, or the ABS website.

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