How to become an ambulance staff

Official title: Ambulance staff (excluding paramedics)

Also called: Ambulance crew, Ambulance driver, Ambulance officer, Ambulance attendant, Ambulance technician, Ambulance patient carer, Ambulance care assistant, Ambulance room attendant, Emergency ambulance crew, Ambulance driver-attendant, Ambulance station attendant, Ambulance resource assistant

Ambulance staff transport sick, injured and convalescent persons and give first aid treatment in emergencies and check ambulance vehicles are roadworthy, cleaned and have all the necessary equipment.

Main tasks

• Helps patients into and out of ambulance
• Drives ambulance or accompanies driver to transport patients to hospitals or other treatment centres and homes
• Ascertains nature of injuries and provides first aid treatment
• Cleans and disinfects ambulance after use and carries out routine care of ambulance equipment
• Replenishes medical supplies in ambulance as necessary
• Checks and maintains vehicles to ensure they are roadworthy

How to become one

Academic qualifications are not normally required. Entry requirements vary between ambulance services. Entrants must normally have possessed a full clean driving licence for one to two years and have health clearance. Entrants undertake a minimum of 2 weeks training in first aid and patient care. Successful trainees are then attached to an ambulance station where they work under the guidance of a trained supervisor for a probationary period before working unsupervised.

Ways in

• Apprenticeship (England): Ambulance support worker (emergency, urgent and non-urgent) (level 3). England. Typically 13 months. Skills England standard ST0627.
• Apprenticeship (England): Associate ambulance practitioner (level 4). England. Typically 18 months. Skills England standard ST0287.

Pay · Outlook

• Median full-time pay: £33,465 a year The middle half earn £28,605 to £40,389.
• About 42,400 people work in this job now, and about 46,500 are projected by 2035. (+9.6%)

Related jobs

• Nursing auxiliaries and assistants
• Dental nurses
• Houseparents and residential wardens
• Care workers and home carers
• Senior care workers
• Care escorts

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become an ambulance staff?

Academic qualifications are not normally required. Entry requirements vary between ambulance services. Entrants must normally have possessed a full clean driving licence for one to two years and have health clearance. Entrants undertake a minimum of 2 weeks training in first aid and patient care. Successful trainees are then attached to an ambulance station where they work under the guidance of a trained supervisor for a probationary period before working unsupervised.

How much does an ambulance staff earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £33,465 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £28,605 to £40,389.

Is an ambulance staff a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 10% by 2035, from about 42,400 to about 46,500 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become an ambulance staff?

Usually not. Only 21% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Ambulance support worker (emergency, urgent and non-urgent) (level 3).

Sources

• Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03