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
- $166,430
- Top 10% earn
- +3%
- Growth '23–'33
- 13,500
- US workers
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 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($184,350), since pay varies by state and metro area.
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 2033.
- $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.
Emergency Management Directors (SOC 11-9161) pays a national median of $93,330 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $54,210 at the 10th percentile to $166,430 at the 90th, with a mean of $102,420 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 13,500 Americans work in this occupation across 47 reporting states and 94 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a +3% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as slower than average relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 1,000 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Bachelor's degree, with 5 years or more of prior experience generally required. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 2.8 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.8 per 100.
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 top metro is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $173,540 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
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.
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).
Among 25 11-series occupations with growth data, Emergency Management Directors sits on the slower-growing side at +3% growth and $93,330 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
+3%
Slower than average
Annual Openings
1,000
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Bachelor's degree
Work Experience
5 years or more
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
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
10th Percentile
$54,210
25th Percentile
$67,910
Median
$93,330
75th Percentile
$126,490
90th Percentile
$166,430
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 94 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 | North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $119,990 | +29% above national |
| 14 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $119,870 | +28% above national |
| 15 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | $118,370 | +27% above national |
| 16 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $117,070 | +25% above national |
| 17 | South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area | $112,430 | +20% above national |
| 18 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $111,950 | +20% above national |
| 19 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $111,350 | +19% above national |
| 20 | Tallahassee, FL | $110,550 | +18% above national |
| 21 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $109,450 | +17% above national |
| 22 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $109,140 | +17% above national |
| 23 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $109,140 | +17% above national |
| 24 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $107,430 | +15% above national |
| 25 | Baton Rouge, LA | $106,220 | +14% above national |
| 26 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $105,230 | +13% above national |
| 27 | Omaha, NE-IA | $104,880 | +12% above national |
| 28 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $104,620 | +12% above national |
| 29 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $103,830 | +11% above national |
| 30 | New Orleans-Metairie, LA | $103,810 | +11% above national |
| 31 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $103,120 | +10% above national |
| 32 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $101,300 | +9% above national |
| 33 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $101,130 | +8% above national |
| 34 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $100,980 | +8% above national |
| 35 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $100,920 | +8% above national |
| 36 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $100,830 | +8% above national |
| 37 | North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | $100,150 | +7% above national |
| 38 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $98,830 | +6% above national |
| 39 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $97,990 | +5% above national |
| 40 | Syracuse, NY | $97,960 | +5% above national |
| 41 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $97,610 | +5% above national |
| 42 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $97,350 | +4% above national |
| 43 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $96,650 | +4% above national |
| 44 | Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $94,330 | +1% above national |
| 45 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $93,260 | same as national |
| 46 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $93,260 | same as national |
| 47 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $93,190 | same as national |
| 48 | Richmond, VA | $92,940 | same as national |
| 49 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $90,780 | 3% below national |
| 50 | Pittsburgh, PA | $90,170 | 3% below national |
| 51 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $89,200 | 4% below national |
| 52 | Anchorage, AK | $88,970 | 5% below national |
| 53 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $88,890 | 5% below national |
| 54 | Birmingham, AL | $88,510 | 5% below national |
| 55 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $88,040 | 6% below national |
| 56 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $86,670 | 7% below national |
| 57 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $85,760 | 8% below national |
| 58 | Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | $85,510 | 8% below national |
| 59 | Knoxville, TN | $85,480 | 8% below national |
| 60 | Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $85,360 | 9% below national |
| 61 | Rochester, NY | $85,220 | 9% below national |
| 62 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $83,390 | 11% below national |
| 63 | Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $82,990 | 11% below national |
| 64 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $82,640 | 11% below national |
| 65 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $82,620 | 11% below national |
| 66 | Central East New York nonmetropolitan area | $82,210 | 12% below national |
| 67 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $78,050 | 16% below national |
| 68 | Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $77,210 | 17% below national |
| 69 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $76,940 | 18% below national |
| 70 | South Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $74,460 | 20% below national |
| 71 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $73,600 | 21% below national |
| 72 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $73,530 | 21% below national |
| 73 | Oklahoma City, OK | $71,330 | 24% below national |
| 74 | Columbia, SC | $71,110 | 24% below national |
| 75 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,000 | 24% below national |
| 76 | Jefferson City, MO | $70,750 | 24% below national |
| 77 | West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $68,990 | 26% below national |
| 78 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $67,480 | 28% below national |
| 79 | Tulsa, OK | $65,460 | 30% below national |
| 80 | Northeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $64,990 | 30% below national |
| 81 | North Georgia nonmetropolitan area | $64,860 | 31% below national |
| 82 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $62,980 | 33% below national |
| 83 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $60,580 | 35% below national |
| 84 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $60,300 | 35% below national |
| 85 | North Florida nonmetropolitan area | $58,250 | 38% below national |
| 86 | West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $58,110 | 38% below national |
| 87 | Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $57,990 | 38% below national |
| 88 | Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $57,420 | 38% below national |
| 89 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $56,890 | 39% below national |
| 90 | East-Central Montana nonmetropolitan area | $56,050 | 40% below national |
| 91 | Northwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area | $53,410 | 43% below national |
| 92 | East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area | $52,080 | 44% below national |
| 93 | Jackson, MS | $42,970 | 54% below national |
| 94 | North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $37,440 | 60% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 11 (management) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Emergency Management Directors make? ▼
What state pays Emergency Management Directors the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Emergency Management Directors? ▼
How dangerous is being a 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
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $126,490/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. 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.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
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.