How much does an emergency director make?
a year · about $45 an hour
A typical emergency director in the United States makes $93,330 a year, about $45 an hour, about 1.8× a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They update disaster plans, meet with police, firefighters, hospitals, and community groups, and run practice drills. During a real emergency, they may work from a command center, coordinating evacuations or opening shelters.
Did you know? An emergency plan may need routes and trailers for horses, goats, or pigs—not just people and pets.
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $54,210 and $166,430How do you become one?
In the U.S., earn a bachelor’s degree in emergency management or a related field, then gain years of disaster-response work; it’s a later-career job. Some states require certification; IAEM’s optional CEM needs experience and an exam.
School needed: Usually a bachelor's degree
Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the U.S., pay varies by location and employer type, and years of experience or a certification can help someone qualify for certain jobs. BLS wage data differ across industries, and some employers prefer professional certifications.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in District of Columbia ($184,350), lowest in Mississippi ($48,650).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $54,210 | $93,330 | $166,430 | about 14,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $184,350 | about 150 |
| New Mexico | $145,550 | about 170 |
| Washington | $130,780 | about 180 |
| California | $129,910 | about 1,000 |
| Colorado | $129,660 | — |
Official definition: 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.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/management/emergency-management-directors.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9161.00
- www.iaem.org/Certification/Getting-Started
- www.ready.gov/pets
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY