Emergency management director vs emergency management specialist

The differences between emergency management directors and emergency management specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an emergency management director and an emergency management specialist. Additionally, an emergency management director has an average salary of $161,105, which is higher than the $63,164 average annual salary of an emergency management specialist.

The top three skills for an emergency management director include emergency preparedness, emergency management and public safety. The most important skills for an emergency management specialist are emergency management, DHS, and emergency response.

Emergency management director vs emergency management specialist overview

	Emergency Management Director	Emergency Management Specialist
Yearly salary	$161,105	$63,164
Hourly rate	$77.45	$30.37
Growth rate	3%	3%
Number of jobs	88,282	90,314
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	6	6

What does an emergency management director do?

An emergency management director must maintain liaisons, prepare plans and procedures in responding to natural disasters and calamities or any emergencies. They organize training for volunteers, staff, and responders to emergency response operations. They also lead the emergency response team during and after a crisis. They will coordinate with government officials, agencies, nonprofit organizations, and public safety officials to procure the necessary funds for an emergency. After any catastrophe, they assess hazards to create a proper plan to minimize risk and damage to people and properties. They also maintain facilities for emergencies.

What does an emergency management specialist do?

An emergency management specialist is responsible for planning and facilitating emergency drills and programs for awareness of unforeseen situations and disastrous events. Emergency management specialists coordinate with the community officers and other institutions to identify program resources, including the budget limitations and training responders. They also analyze the occurrence of natural disasters and outline plans ahead to ensure that the community people are well-equipped. An emergency management specialist handles the recovery efforts and funding requests for the community affected by disasters and follows protocols.

Emergency management director vs emergency management specialist salary

Emergency management directors and emergency management specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Emergency Management Director	Emergency Management Specialist
Average salary	$161,105	$63,164
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $358,000	Between $32,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	Springfield, IL	Cranston, RI
Highest paying state	Illinois	New Jersey
Best paying company	Saint Francis Health System	Piedmont Healthcare
Best paying industry	Health Care	Government

Differences between emergency management director and emergency management specialist education

There are a few differences between an emergency management director and an emergency management specialist in terms of educational background:

	Emergency Management Director	Emergency Management Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 55%	Bachelor's Degree, 57%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	SUNY at Binghamton	SUNY at Binghamton

Emergency management director vs emergency management specialist demographics

Here are the differences between emergency management directors' and emergency management specialists' demographics:

	Emergency Management Director	Emergency Management Specialist
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 71.3% Female, 28.7%	Male, 68.7% Female, 31.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 4.4% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	26%	26%

Differences between emergency management director and emergency management specialist duties and responsibilities

Emergency management director example responsibilities.

Manage first aid clinic using EMT skills for injury's clinic visits, lose time, and light duty incidents.
Manage the strategic oversight and operational performance for the department.
Relay information to the appropriate first responder agency.
Communicate OSHA, NFPA and NIOSH standards to customer.
Participate in control burns as well as wildland firefighting.
Assist in training new ERT members in their initial classes and training.

Emergency management specialist example responsibilities.

Identify facilities and personnel resources within the state to achieve rapid effective dispensing of SNS.
Provide hazardous materials (HAZMAT) response capability for unknown or suspect incidents.
Receive inbound calls and dispatch roadside assistance for AAA customers who need help.
Assist FEMA and coordinate disaster response and recovery activities to include damage assessments, and individual assessments.
Use HICS system in all drills/real responses.
Instruct various first aid and CPR courses for county employees.

Emergency management director vs emergency management specialist skills

Common emergency management director skills

Emergency Preparedness, 10%
Emergency Management, 8%
Public Safety, 8%
Emergency Response, 7%
Emergency Services, 6%
Disaster Response, 6%

Common emergency management specialist skills

Emergency Management, 8%
DHS, 8%
Emergency Response, 6%
Emergency Preparedness, 6%
Incident Management, 5%
Federal Agencies, 4%

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Emergency Management Director
Emergency Management Director vs Emergency Management Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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