Emergency Management Director Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of emergency management directors to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035 (about 500 more jobs), with about 1,100 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $93,330 a year ranks 170th of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +3.9%
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- Median pay
- $93,330
- Pay rank
- 170th of 825
Is employment of emergency management directors growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of emergency management directors to rise 3.9% (about 500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is slower than the +6.2% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 37 management occupations with a projection. That change ranks 313th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 14,000 |
| Employment, 2035 | 14,500 |
| Projected change | +3.9% |
| Openings a year | 1,100 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 14,000 jobs here differ from the 13,500 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,100 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 642nd most of 830 occupations. About 95% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 50 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for emergency management directors rank?
The median of $93,330 a year ranks 170th of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on pay and the lower half on openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
- Work experience in a related occupation: 5 years or more.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facilities Managers | +4.6% | 14,200 | $106,660 |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | +24.2% | 62,300 | $123,860 |
| Managers, All Other | +4.9% | 100,900 | $141,900 |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | +3.9% | 98,700 | $83,050 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | +5.4% | 1,200 | $115,160 |
| Management Analysts | +10.1% | 94,100 | $101,860 |
| Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists | +13.1% | 400 | $56,870 |
| Occupational Health and Safety Specialists | +18.5% | 17,100 | $90,150 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.