Emergency Management Directors Salary
Management Occupations · 14K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$93,330
Median hourly
$45
Average annual
$102,420
Typical range
$54,210–$166,430
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Emergency Management Directors is $93,330 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $45 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Plan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations..
Most earn between $54,210 and $166,430 a year. There are roughly 14K people employed as emergency management directors in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Emergency Management Directors.
- Hourly
- $44.87
- Daily
- $359
- Weekly
- $1,795
- Bi-weekly
- $3,590
- Monthly
- $7,778
- Annual
- $93,330
$93,330 a year is around the 50th percentile for Emergency Management Directorss. The median is $93,330.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$184,350
- 2New Mexico$145,550
- 3Washington$130,780
- 4California$129,910
- 5Colorado$129,660
- 6Massachusetts$123,250
- 7New Jersey$120,990
- 8Connecticut$113,380
- 9Oregon$110,720
- 10Maryland$107,200
- 11Minnesota$106,880
- 12Nevada$105,570
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$173,540
- 2Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$163,220
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$161,180
- 4Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$155,320
- 5Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$136,930
- 6Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$136,510
- 7Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$136,270
- 8Jacksonville, FL$135,910
- 9Worcester, MA$133,690
- 10Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$130,020
- 11Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$130,020
- 12Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$126,570
Related job titles
Employers advertise Emergency Management Directors roles under these titles.
- 911 Communications Manager
- Civil Defense Director
- Civil Preparedness Officer
- Disaster Response Director
- Emergency Management Coordinator
- Emergency Management Director
- Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director)
- Emergency Manager
- Emergency Planner
- Emergency Planning and Response Manager
- Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
- Emergency Preparedness Manager
- Emergency Response Coordinator
- Emergency Services Director
- Emergency Services Program Coordinator
- Public Safety Director
Related occupations
- Business Operations Specialists, All Other$83,050
- Facilities Managers$106,660
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors$115,160
- Computer Occupations, All Other$116,580
- Management Analysts$101,860
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists$56,870
- Managers, All Other$141,900
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists$90,150
What a Emergency Management Directors does
- Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
- Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
- Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
- Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
- Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
- Prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies, such as hurricanes, nuclear accidents, and terrorist attacks, and in recovery from these events.
- Develop and perform tests and evaluations of emergency management plans in accordance with state and federal regulations.
- Collaborate with other officials to prepare and analyze damage assessments following disasters or emergencies.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Emergency Management Directors make?
- The median annual wage for Emergency Management Directors is $93,330 ($45 per hour). Pay ranges from about $54,210 at the 10th percentile to $166,430 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Emergency Management Directors?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $102,420, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Emergency Management Directorss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $184,350.
- Is Emergency Management Directors a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 14K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Emergency Management Directors do?
- Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.; Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.; Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs..