How much does an Emergency Management Director make?
An Emergency Management Director earns a median annual salary of $93,330 in the United States, which works out to roughly $44.87 per hour for full-time work. Most Emergency Management Directors earn between $54,210 at the entry level and $166,430 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $67,910 and $126,490 a year.
That is $31,940 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Emergency Management Director salary range by percentile
Half of all Emergency Management Directors earn between $67,910 and $126,490 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $54,210 | $26.06 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $67,910 | $32.65 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $93,330 | $44.87 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $126,490 | $60.81 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $166,430 | $80.01 |
Highest-paying states for Emergency Management Director
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. District of Columbia leads the country for Emergency Management Director pay at $184,350 a year, followed by New Mexico ($145,550) and Washington ($130,780). At the other end, Mississippi posts the lowest median at $48,650 — a gap of $135,700 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $184,350 | $88.63 | +98% |
| 2 | New Mexico | $145,550 | $69.98 | +56% |
| 3 | Washington | $130,780 | $62.88 | +40% |
| 4 | California | $129,910 | $62.46 | +39% |
| 5 | Colorado | $129,660 | $62.34 | +39% |
Emergency Management Director salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 47 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 14,000 people work as Emergency Management Directors in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $102,420 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a bachelor's degree (about 4 years of college) is the standard entry requirement, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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Related salaries
Other management roles with similar pay.