Emergency Management Directors: Career Overview
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.
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What Do Emergency Management Directors Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of emergency management directors span:
- 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.
What Emergency Management Directors Need to Know
Successful emergency management directors draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Emergency Management Directors Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- 911 Communications Manager
- Change Management Specialist
- Civil Defense Director
- Civil Preparedness Officer
- Disaster Response Director
- Emergency Management Coordinator
- Emergency Management Director
- Emergency Management Planner
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 347,365 emergency management directors working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +12.5% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Emergency Management Directors Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $72,305 |
| Hourly median | $34.76 |
| 10th percentile | $47,816 |
| 25th percentile | $60,061 |
| 75th percentile | $84,550 |
| 90th percentile | $96,795 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $185,810 |
| Washington | $129,110 |
| California | $126,210 |
| Massachusetts | $115,200 |
| New Mexico | $111,980 |
| Colorado | $109,710 |
| New Jersey | $108,780 |
| Oregon | $106,870 |
| Maryland | $104,270 |
| Connecticut | $103,390 |
| Minnesota | $99,600 |
| Alaska | $98,420 |
| Florida | $95,360 |
| Louisiana | $93,970 |
| Texas | $90,650 |
| New York | $90,130 |
| Rhode Island | $88,960 |
| Nebraska | $86,580 |
| Virginia | $85,690 |
| Ohio | $85,580 |
| North Carolina | $85,490 |
| Idaho | $85,280 |
| South Carolina | $82,780 |
| Nevada | $82,140 |
| Maine | $81,450 |
| North Dakota | $81,280 |
| Vermont | $80,850 |
| Illinois | $80,590 |
| Utah | $79,750 |
| Arizona | $79,740 |
| Wisconsin | $79,150 |
| Tennessee | $78,720 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,190 |
| Michigan | $78,160 |
| Kentucky | $77,230 |
| Georgia | $75,280 |
| Missouri | $74,560 |
| New Hampshire | $72,630 |
| Montana | $71,360 |
| Wyoming | $66,340 |
| South Dakota | $65,710 |
| Iowa | $65,640 |
| Alabama | $65,570 |
| Indiana | $63,540 |
| Kansas | $62,830 |
| West Virginia | $61,780 |
| Oklahoma | $59,990 |
| Arkansas | $49,000 |
| Mississippi | $47,850 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for emergency management directors differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $123,306 | 12.0% | 0.92 |
| Middle Atlantic | $98,984 | 15.1% | 1.06 |
| New England | $97,981 | 4.5% | 1.10 |
| Rocky Mountains | $88,025 | 4.4% | 1.22 |
| Southwest | $86,238 | 13.2% | 1.18 |
| Southeast | $79,193 | 30.1% | 1.30 |
| Plains States | $76,577 | 7.9% | 1.40 |
| Great Lakes | $76,564 | 12.9% | 1.00 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Emergency Management Directors
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $156,950 | 150 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $153,910 | 300 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $139,630 | 130 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $138,970 | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $128,860 | 310 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | CA | $127,200 | 70 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $125,530 | 140 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | ID | $122,040 | 30 |
Top Industries Employing Emergency Management Directors
Most emergency management directors work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,200 | $96,310 |
| Educational Services | 560 | $94,200 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 330 | $122,610 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 280 | $132,070 |
| Utilities | 260 | $156,290 |
| Manufacturing | 200 | $119,280 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 180 | $103,380 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 140 | $68,420 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of emergency management directors reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Emergency Management Directors
Entry-level emergency management directors positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Security Managers (Primary-Short)
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Primary-Short)
- Compliance Managers (Primary-Long)
- Loss Prevention Managers (Supplemental)
- Management Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Business Continuity Planners (Primary-Short)
- Security Management Specialists (Primary-Short)
- Information Security Engineers (Primary-Long)
Where to Study
Aspiring emergency management directors typically earn programs in:
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
6 programs across 2 majors
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 11-9161.00 (Emergency Management Directors).
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