Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Emergency Management Director is a professional role in the Management job family, focused on Emergency Management Director work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Emergency Management Directors do
Typical education: Bachelor's Degree
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.
Top skills:Service OrientationSpeakingComplex Problem SolvingWritingSocial PerceptivenessReading Comprehension
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Emergency Management Director salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
9,740 workers
$98,500
Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
7,770 workers
$98,000
State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
2,300 workers
$91,500
Health Care and Social Assistance
1,320 workers
$111,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
600 workers
$151,000
Educational Services
580 workers
$110,000
Utilities
320 workers
$162,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
320 workers
$147,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Emergency Management Director pays 23% below the average across 37 roles in the Management job family (family average $137,000).
How much does a Emergency Management Director make?
The average base salary for a Emergency Management Director in the United States is $106,000 per year, or about $50.96 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $70,500 and $131,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Management roles?
The Management job family averages $137,000 across 37 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
