City of Chicago / Chicago Fire Department / Paramedic
Job-title file
Respond to fires and emergencies, perform rescue and medical aid, and carry out prevention and inspection.
392 employees hold this title in Chicago Fire Department. Median total compensation for the role is $111,252, below the department median of $122,376.
What the records show
How total compensation varies among the 392 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.
Compared with the local labor market
Across all employers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, the median wage for Paramedics — about 2,560 people — is $77,670. Chicago Fire Department pays a median base salary of $111,252 for this role, 43% above that figure — above the 90th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
The bar is the range of annual wages for Paramedics across every employer in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Chicago Fire Department’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for Paramedics — about 100,610 people — is $60,600. Chicago Fire Department’s median base salary is 84% above that national figure, above the 90th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at Chicago Fire Department is $111,252, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare jurisdictions
This role is reported in 5 jurisdictions. In City of Chicago, the median of $111,252 ranks #1 of 5. See Paramedic across all of City of Chicago →
Median total compensation for comparable Paramedicroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.
Record list
Page 1
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Jorge Anzaldo works as a Paramedic for Chicago Fire Department. Their status is full-time. Jorge earned $128,892 in 2026.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Sarah Cruz is a Paramedic at Chicago Fire Department. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $128,892.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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At Chicago Fire Department, Jo Di Salvo serves as a Paramedic. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $128,892.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Barbara Lemke holds the role of Paramedic at Chicago Fire Department. Their status is full-time. In 2026, their total compensation was $128,892.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Juan Rosas works as a Paramedic for Chicago Fire Department. Their status is full-time. Juan earned $128,892 in 2026.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Joseph Castello works as a Paramedic for Chicago Fire Department. Their status is full-time. Joseph earned $123,978 in 2026.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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At Chicago Fire Department, Janet Castro serves as a Paramedic. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $123,978.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Lon Cogley is a Paramedic at Chicago Fire Department. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $123,978.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Ken Keske is a Paramedic at Chicago Fire Department. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $123,978.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Karen O Shea works as a Paramedic for Chicago Fire Department. Their status is full-time. Karen earned $123,978 in 2026.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
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Thomas Simich Ii works as a Paramedic for Chicago Fire Department. Their status is full-time. Thomas earned $123,978 in 2026.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
Source-specific fields
At Chicago Fire Department, Bartosz Wozniak serves as a Paramedic. They work full-time. Their 2026 pay totaled $123,978.
Paramedic/Chicago Fire Department
Source-specific fields
Boguslaw Szewczyk is a Paramedic at Chicago Fire Department. They work full-time. 2026 total compensation came to $123,978.