Emergency Management Directors Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for emergency management directorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$165,390
- New Mexico$140,730
- California$138,120
- Washington$136,430
- Massachusetts$131,520
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$58,450
- Mississippi$61,150
- West Virginia$67,620
- South Dakota$70,270
- Oklahoma$70,400
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $165,390 | $184,350 | $80 | +61.5% | 150 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $140,730 | $145,550 | $68 | +37.4% | 170 |
| 3 | California | $138,120 | $129,910 | $66 | +34.9% | 1,170 |
| 4 | Washington | $136,430 | $130,780 | $66 | +33.2% | 180 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $131,520 | $123,250 | $63 | +28.4% | 220 |
| 6 | Colorado | $125,080 | $129,660 | $60 | +22.1% | — |
| 7 | Oregon | $119,710 | $110,720 | $58 | +16.9% | 120 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $118,870 | $113,380 | $57 | +16.1% | 180 |
| 9 | Nevada | $118,170 | $105,570 | $57 | +15.4% | 60 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $118,090 | $120,990 | $57 | +15.3% | 490 |
| 11 | Maryland | $117,800 | $107,200 | $57 | +15% | 150 |
| 12 | New York | $113,700 | $92,570 | $55 | +11% | 790 |
| 13 | Virginia | $112,810 | $99,860 | $54 | +10.1% | 450 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $111,800 | $106,880 | $54 | +9.2% | 190 |
| 15 | Alaska | $111,240 | $101,850 | $53 | +8.6% | 120 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $107,470 | $87,690 | $52 | +4.9% | 30 |
| 17 | Idaho | $107,170 | $99,720 | $52 | +4.6% | 80 |
| 18 | Florida | $106,710 | $99,020 | $51 | +4.2% | 720 |
| 19 | Ohio | $103,520 | $94,690 | $50 | +1.1% | 250 |
| 20 | Texas | $102,870 | $93,570 | $49 | +0.4% | 1,210 |
| 21 | Louisiana | $98,950 | $96,550 | $48 | -3.4% | 180 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $98,680 | $93,840 | $47 | -3.7% | 420 |
| 23 | South Carolina | $97,190 | $93,680 | $47 | -5.1% | 330 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $96,940 | $89,740 | $47 | -5.4% | 120 |
| 25 | Illinois | $96,410 | $83,820 | $46 | -5.9% | 450 |
| 26 | Michigan | $93,750 | $87,880 | $45 | -8.5% | 220 |
| 27 | Maine | $93,350 | $84,050 | $45 | -8.9% | 80 |
| 28 | Arizona | $93,100 | $81,970 | $45 | -9.1% | 160 |
| 29 | Georgia | $92,770 | $83,200 | $45 | -9.4% | 430 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $91,460 | $74,290 | $44 | -10.7% | 90 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $88,970 | $81,800 | $43 | -13.1% | 370 |
| 32 | Utah | $88,350 | $84,860 | $42 | -13.7% | 170 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $87,700 | $81,550 | $42 | -14.4% | 520 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $86,130 | $77,420 | $41 | -15.9% | 50 |
| 35 | Missouri | $83,400 | $75,660 | $40 | -18.6% | 310 |
| 36 | North Dakota | $81,330 | $76,640 | $39 | -20.6% | 80 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $80,510 | $77,260 | $39 | -21.4% | 240 |
| 38 | Iowa | $76,810 | $73,700 | $37 | -25% | 130 |
| 39 | Kansas | $75,840 | $68,000 | $36 | -26% | 140 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $74,990 | $74,730 | $36 | -26.8% | 150 |
| 41 | Montana | $71,200 | $62,770 | $34 | -30.5% | 90 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $71,090 | $64,370 | $34 | -30.6% | 50 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $70,400 | $60,990 | $34 | -31.3% | 310 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $70,270 | $67,180 | $34 | -31.4% | 120 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $67,620 | $60,460 | $33 | -34% | 120 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $61,150 | $48,650 | $29 | -40.3% | 230 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $58,450 | $50,180 | $28 | -42.9% | 160 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 96 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $173,540 | $189,540 | 50 |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $163,220 | $155,300 | 310 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $161,180 | $163,310 | 150 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $155,320 | $152,060 | 90 |
| 5 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $136,930 | $129,720 | — |
| 6 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $136,510 | $135,810 | 30 |
| 7 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $136,270 | $138,880 | 90 |
| 8 | Jacksonville, FL | $135,910 | $132,160 | 50 |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | $133,690 | $128,720 | 30 |
| 10 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $130,020 | $141,660 | 300 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing emergency management directorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $189,950 | $186,750 | 230 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $189,950 | $186,750 | 230 |
| 3 | Natural Gas Distribution | $165,750 | $158,550 | 90 |
| 4 | Utilities | $155,830 | $157,050 | 320 |
| 5 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $155,830 | $157,050 | 320 |
| 6 | Nuclear Electric Power Generation | $155,490 | $157,480 | 130 |
| 7 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $154,900 | $157,020 | 190 |
| 8 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $154,900 | $157,020 | 190 |
| 9 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $152,860 | $156,690 | 230 |
| 10 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $144,750 | $144,920 | 30 |
| 11 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $136,930 | $145,760 | 600 |
| 12 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $136,930 | $151,800 | 270 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do emergency management directors make in the U.S.?
The median emergency management directors salary in the United States is $93,330 per year (mean $102,420), and about 80% earn between $54,210 and $166,430.
How much do emergency management directors make per hour?
Roughly $49 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $102,420 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays emergency management directors the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for emergency management directors at $165,390 per year (median $184,350).
What is the job outlook for emergency management directors?
Employment is projected to change +3% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 1,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.