11 Series · SOC 11-9161
Emergency Management Directors Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $93,330
- Median / year
- +8.4%
- 2024→2025
- $166,430
- Top 10% earn
- +3%
- Growth '24–'34
- 13,500
- Estimated US jobs
Emergency Management Directors earn a median of $93,330 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $93,330, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $54,210 (10th percentile) to $166,430 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 13,500 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is District of Columbia ($184,350).
The pay verdict
Emergency Management Directors earn a median of $93,330, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 79% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Management, it ranks #27 of 37 by median pay. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2034.
- $93,330
- Median annual wage
- Top 21%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #27 of 37
- in Management
- 3.1×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $184,350. Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Emergency Management Directors moved from $74,590 in May 2019 to $93,330 in May 2025 (+25.1%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Emergency Management Directors sits +0.7 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Emergency Management Directors (SOC 11-9161) has a national median of $93,330 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $54,210 to $166,430, and the published mean is $102,420. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 13,500 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 47 state or territory areas and 94 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $86,130 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $93,330 in May 2025, a rise of $7,200 (+8.4%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as about as fast as average relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 1,000 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Bachelor's degree as typical education needed for entry and 5 years or more as the typical related-work-experience category. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Management Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $184,350, which is +98% above the national figure. The highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $173,540. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$93,330
per year
Median Hourly
$44.87/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$102,420
average
Employment
13,500
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Emergency Management Directors pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$93,330 Top 21% higher than 79% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 (this entry) | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$93,330 · 79th percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 11-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Emergency Management Directors; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- General and Operatio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.4%, Median annual wage $105770
- Financial Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 14.8%, Median annual wage $166570
- Computer and Informa…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15.2%, Median annual wage $175140
- Sales Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.7%, Median annual wage $148270
- Managers, All Other: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.5%, Median annual wage $141900
- Medical and Health S…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 23.2%, Median annual wage $123860
- Marketing Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.6%, Median annual wage $166790
- Construction Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $114990
- Education Administra…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -1.5%, Median annual wage $105870
- Property, Real Estat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.6%, Median annual wage $69990
- Administrative Servi…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.6%, Median annual wage $114130
- Industrial Productio…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.9%, Median annual wage $126060
- Food Service Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $69390
- Transportation, Stor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.1%, Median annual wage $107230
- Human Resources Mana…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $149280
- Architectural and En…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $171270
- Social and Community…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 6.4%, Median annual wage $80390
- Chief Executives: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4.3%, Median annual wage $213990
- Education Administra…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.7%, Median annual wage $104590
- Facilities Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.8%, Median annual wage $106660
- Natural Sciences Man…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.7%, Median annual wage $167220
- Purchasing Managers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3.1%, Median annual wage $148080
- Public Relations Man…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 5%, Median annual wage $146910
- Education and Childc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -2.5%, Median annual wage $59300
- Emergency Management Directors: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 3%, Median annual wage $93330
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3%
About as fast as average
Annual Openings
1,000
per year (projected)
Employment Change
+400
13,200 (2024) → 13,600 (2034)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience
5 years or more
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Management Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
Fatality Rate
2.8/100K
Injury Rate
0.8/100
Danger Index
4.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Emergency Management Directors roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Design and administer emergency or disaster preparedness training courses that teach people how to effectively respond to major emergencies and disasters.
- ▸ Keep informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, response efforts, or plan implementation.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
Emergency Management Directors pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $67,330 |
| 2016 | $70,500 |
| 2017 | $72,760 |
| 2018 | $74,420 |
| 2019 | $74,590 |
| 2020 | $76,250 |
| 2021 | $76,730 |
| 2022 | $79,180 |
| 2023 | $83,960 |
| 2024 | $86,130 |
| 2025 | $93,330 |
2015 median
$67,330
2025 median
$93,330
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$18,740 (+25.1%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.8%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $67,330 | First banked release | 9,840 |
| May 2016 | $70,500 | +4.7% | 9,570 |
| May 2017 | $72,760 | +3.2% | 9,560 |
| May 2018 | $74,420 | +2.3% | 9,550 |
| May 2019 | $74,590 | Classification break | 10,060 |
| May 2020 | $76,250 | +2.2% | 10,210 |
| May 2021 | $76,730 | +0.6% | 10,320 |
| May 2022 | $79,180 | +3.2% | 11,290 |
| May 2023 | $83,960 | +6.0% | 11,910 |
| May 2024 | $86,130 | +2.6% | 12,570 |
| May 2025 | $93,330 | +8.4% | 13,500 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $67,330 in May 2015 to $93,330 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.8% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 10,060 in May 2019 to 13,500 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 47 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $184,350 | +98% above national |
| 2 | New Mexico | $145,550 | +56% above national |
| 3 | Washington | $130,780 | +40% above national |
| 4 | California | $129,910 | +39% above national |
| 5 | Colorado | $129,660 | +39% above national |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $123,250 | +32% above national |
| 7 | New Jersey | $120,990 | +30% above national |
| 8 | Connecticut | $113,380 | +21% above national |
| 9 | Oregon | $110,720 | +19% above national |
| 10 | Maryland | $107,200 | +15% above national |
| 11 | Minnesota | $106,880 | +15% above national |
| 12 | Nevada | $105,570 | +13% above national |
| 13 | Alaska | $101,850 | +9% above national |
| 14 | Virginia | $99,860 | +7% above national |
| 15 | Idaho | $99,720 | +7% above national |
| 16 | Florida | $99,020 | +6% above national |
| 17 | Louisiana | $96,550 | +3% above national |
| 18 | Ohio | $94,690 | +1% above national |
| 19 | North Carolina | $93,840 | +1% above national |
| 20 | South Carolina | $93,680 | same as national |
| 21 | Texas | $93,570 | same as national |
| 22 | New York | $92,570 | 1% below national |
| 23 | Nebraska | $89,740 | 4% below national |
| 24 | Michigan | $87,880 | 6% below national |
| 25 | Rhode Island | $87,690 | 6% below national |
| 26 | Utah | $84,860 | 9% below national |
| 27 | Maine | $84,050 | 10% below national |
| 28 | Illinois | $83,820 | 10% below national |
| 29 | Georgia | $83,200 | 11% below national |
| 30 | Arizona | $81,970 | 12% below national |
| 31 | Tennessee | $81,800 | 12% below national |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $81,550 | 13% below national |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $77,420 | 17% below national |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $77,260 | 17% below national |
| 35 | North Dakota | $76,640 | 18% below national |
| 36 | Missouri | $75,660 | 19% below national |
| 37 | Kentucky | $74,730 | 20% below national |
| 38 | Hawaii | $74,290 | 20% below national |
| 39 | Iowa | $73,700 | 21% below national |
| 40 | Kansas | $68,000 | 27% below national |
| 41 | South Dakota | $67,180 | 28% below national |
| 42 | Wyoming | $64,370 | 31% below national |
| 43 | Montana | $62,770 | 33% below national |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $60,990 | 35% below national |
| 45 | West Virginia | $60,460 | 35% below national |
| 46 | Arkansas | $50,180 | 46% below national |
| 47 | Mississippi | $48,650 | 48% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 67 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,540 | +86% above national |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $163,220 | +75% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $161,180 | +73% above national |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $155,320 | +66% above national |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $136,930 | +47% above national |
| 6 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $136,510 | +46% above national |
| 7 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $136,270 | +46% above national |
| 8 | Jacksonville, FL | $135,910 | +46% above national |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | $133,690 | +43% above national |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $130,020 | +39% above national |
| 11 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $130,020 | +39% above national |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $126,570 | +36% above national |
| 13 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $119,870 | +28% above national |
| 14 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $118,370 | +27% above national |
| 15 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $117,070 | +25% above national |
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $111,950 | +20% above national |
| 17 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $111,350 | +19% above national |
| 18 | Tallahassee, FL | $110,550 | +18% above national |
| 19 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $109,140 | +17% above national |
| 20 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $109,140 | +17% above national |
| 21 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $107,430 | +15% above national |
| 22 | Baton Rouge, LA | $106,220 | +14% above national |
| 23 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $105,230 | +13% above national |
| 24 | Omaha, NE-IA | $104,880 | +12% above national |
| 25 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,620 | +12% above national |
| 26 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $103,830 | +11% above national |
| 27 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $103,810 | +11% above national |
| 28 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $103,120 | +10% above national |
| 29 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $101,300 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,130 | +8% above national |
| 31 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,980 | +8% above national |
| 32 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $100,920 | +8% above national |
| 33 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $100,830 | +8% above national |
| 34 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $100,150 | +7% above national |
| 35 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $98,830 | +6% above national |
| 36 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $97,990 | +5% above national |
| 37 | Syracuse, NY | $97,960 | +5% above national |
| 38 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $97,610 | +5% above national |
| 39 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $97,350 | +4% above national |
| 40 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $96,650 | +4% above national |
| 41 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $94,330 | +1% above national |
| 42 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $93,260 | same as national |
| 43 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $93,260 | same as national |
| 44 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $93,190 | same as national |
| 45 | Richmond, VA | $92,940 | same as national |
| 46 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $90,780 | 3% below national |
| 47 | Pittsburgh, PA | $90,170 | 3% below national |
| 48 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $89,200 | 4% below national |
| 49 | Anchorage, AK | $88,970 | 5% below national |
| 50 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $88,890 | 5% below national |
| 51 | Birmingham, AL | $88,510 | 5% below national |
| 52 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $88,040 | 6% below national |
| 53 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $86,670 | 7% below national |
| 54 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $85,760 | 8% below national |
| 55 | Knoxville, TN | $85,480 | 8% below national |
| 56 | Rochester, NY | $85,220 | 9% below national |
| 57 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $83,390 | 11% below national |
| 58 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $82,640 | 11% below national |
| 59 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $78,050 | 16% below national |
| 60 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $76,940 | 18% below national |
| 61 | Oklahoma City, OK | $71,330 | 24% below national |
| 62 | Columbia, SC | $71,110 | 24% below national |
| 63 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,000 | 24% below national |
| 64 | Jefferson City, MO | $70,750 | 24% below national |
| 65 | Tulsa, OK | $65,460 | 30% below national |
| 66 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $56,890 | 39% below national |
| 67 | Jackson, MS | $42,970 | 54% below national |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 11 (Management Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Administrative Services Managers
SOC 11-3012
Advertising and Promotions Managers
SOC 11-2011
Architectural and Engineering Managers
SOC 11-9041
Chief Executives
SOC 11-1011
Compensation and Benefits Managers
SOC 11-3111
Showing 5 of 36 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Management Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($93,330 here) and reported employment (13,500 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Emergency Management Directors make? ▼
Where does Emergency Management Directors pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Emergency Management Directors the most? ▼
What education do Emergency Management Directors need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Emergency Management Directors? ▼
Is Emergency Management Directors a good career? ▼
How does Emergency Management Directors pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Emergency Management Directors? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Emergency Management Directors pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $126,490/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $184,350/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.