Post job

Emergency management director salary

Average emergency management director salary

$161,105

$77.45 hourly rate

Entry-level emergency management director salary
$72,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Salary of an Emergency Management Director

The role of an Emergency Management Director is vital for coordinating disaster preparedness and response efforts. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $161,105 per year. This figure reflects the significant responsibilities associated with the position, which includes planning, training, and managing resources during emergencies.

Salary Variation by State

Salaries for Emergency Management Directors can significantly differ based on geographic location. For example, states like California and New York typically offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for experienced professionals. In contrast, smaller states or those with fewer resources may present lower average salaries.

Industry Impact on Earnings

The industry also plays a crucial role in salary determination. Emergency Management Directors working in government positions often earn competitive wages, while those in private sectors may see variations based on company size and funding. Exploring various industries can help job seekers find the best opportunities.

Job Outlook and Opportunities

With the growing focus on disaster preparedness, job prospects for Emergency Management Directors remain strong. Those interested in this field should consider pursuing relevant education and certifications, which can enhance their qualifications and potentially lead to higher earnings.

On this page
Emergency management director salary by: 

Let Zippia find your next emergency management director job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippia find your next emergency management director job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can an Emergency Management Director earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
214k
194k
174k
154k
134k
114k
Columbus, OH$190,532
Des Moines, IA$143,710
Compare salary by company
Vs
290k
270k
250k
230k
210k
190k
170k
150k
130k
110k
Saint Francis Health System$264,749
Liberty Mutual Insurance$140,158

Emergency management director salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for an emergency management director typically falls between $79,432 and $161,105.
zippia
$161,105yearly
glassdoor[1]
$116,353yearly
comparably[2]
$99,173yearly
Salary.com[3]
$93,136yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$106,500yearly
payscale[5]
$79,432yearly

Average emergency management director salary by state

The highest-paying states for emergency management directors are Illinois, New York, and West Virginia. The lowest average emergency management director salary states are New Mexico, Missouri, and Louisiana.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for emergency management directors

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1West Virginia$152,076$73.11
2Illinois$164,767$79.21
3New York$157,992$75.96
4Delaware$151,809$72.99
5Vermont$149,420$71.84
6Pennsylvania$149,533$71.89
7North Carolina$148,482$71.39
8New Hampshire$150,727$72.46
9North Dakota$140,856$67.72
10Connecticut$149,154$71.71
11Kentucky$145,700$70.05
12Ohio$144,221$69.34
13South Dakota$141,769$68.16
14Nevada$139,980$67.30
15Maine$140,000$67.31
16Alaska$139,702$67.16
17Indiana$136,149$65.46
18Minnesota$143,032$68.77
19Alabama$128,656$61.85
20California$141,841$68.19
21District of Columbia$155,078$74.56
22Mississippi$127,168$61.14
23Virginia$132,475$63.69
24Wyoming$137,126$65.93
25Montana$138,418$66.55
26Maryland$144,229$69.34
27Massachusetts$136,719$65.73
28Iowa$133,137$64.01
29Tennessee$130,544$62.76
30Oklahoma$124,882$60.04
31Wisconsin$129,289$62.16
32Rhode Island$137,635$66.17
33Arkansas$125,910$60.53
34Georgia$130,461$62.72
35Oregon$125,627$60.40
36New Jersey$127,672$61.38
37Michigan$127,382$61.24
38Arizona$125,087$60.14
39Washington$124,581$59.89
40Nebraska$126,761$60.94
41Louisiana$111,065$53.40
42New Mexico$113,005$54.33
43Kansas$124,288$59.75
44Utah$126,064$60.61
45Idaho$126,149$60.65
46Florida$119,678$57.54
47Hawaii$79,274$38.11
48Texas$108,630$52.23
49Missouri$111,824$53.76
50South Carolina$116,706$56.11
51Colorado$108,588$52.21
Top emergency management director jobs near you

Highest paying cities for emergency management directors

The highest-paying cities for emergency management directors are Springfield, IL, Albany, NY, and Washington, DC.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Springfield, IL$190,532$91.60
2Albany, NY$181,758$87.38
3Washington, DC$176,732$84.97
4Charleston, WV$171,514$82.46
5Concord, NH$171,457$82.43
6Dover, DE$170,089$81.77
7Harrisburg, PA$166,855$80.22
8Hartford, CT$166,535$80.06
9Frankfort, KY$166,397$80.00
10Minneapolis, MN$162,194$77.98
11San Francisco, CA$161,551$77.67
12Columbus, OH$159,926$76.89
13Carson City, NV$158,397$76.15
14Bismarck, ND$155,166$74.60
15Helena, MT$154,203$74.14
16Cheyenne, WY$152,570$73.35
17Indianapolis, IN$148,238$71.27
18Boston, MA$147,795$71.06
19McLean, VA$144,056$69.26
20Des Moines, IA$143,710$69.09

Emergency management director salary details

An emergency management director's salary ranges from $72,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $358,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average emergency management director salary graph
Average emergency management director salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an emergency management director's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$358,000$29,833$172
75th Percentile$245,000$20,417$118
Average$161,105$13,425$77
25th Percentile$105,000$8,750$50
10th Percentile$72,000$6,000$35

Highest paying emergency management director jobs

The highest paying types of emergency management directors are director of civil defense, co-owner & director, and hazard mitigation officer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator$62,028$5,169$29.8230,022
Emergency Planner$61,090$5,091$29.3736,135
Emergency Management Coordinator$61,574$5,131$29.6092,723

Top companies hiring emergency management directors now:

  1. New York University jobs (2)
  2. AtlantiCare jobs (5)
  3. American Red Cross jobs (3)
  4. US Air Conditioning Distributors jobs (12)
  5. Morgan Stanley jobs (2)

Which companies pay emergency management directors the most?

Emergency management director salaries at Saint Francis Health System and St. Joseph's Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average emergency management director salary at companies like St. Joseph Healthcare and Emory Healthcare are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Saint Francis Health System$264,749$127.28
2St. Joseph's Health$235,944$113.43
3St. Joseph Healthcare$222,353$106.90
4Emory Healthcare$221,254$106.37
5New York University$211,798$101.83
6AtlantiCare$203,353$97.77
7H Mart$189,074$90.90
8Red Robin$184,249$88.58
9Mission Regional Medical Center$179,564$86.33
10Tyler Junior College$167,265$80.42
11University of Florida$164,937$79.30
12Under Armour$154,894$74.47
13MUFG EMEA$154,865$74.45
14Clinical Management Consultants$154,164$74.12
15*n/a*$152,247$73.20
16Cisco$149,084$71.67
17Tenet Healthcare$146,681$70.52
18New York State Restaurant Association$143,956$69.21
19Minnesota Limited$142,995$68.75
20Liberty Mutual Insurance$140,158$67.38

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$170,000$163,800$157,600$151,400$145,200$139,000
MaleFemale

Emergency Management Director salary by industry

The average emergency management director salary varies across industries:

  • The average emergency management director salary in the health care industry is $160,713, the highest of any industry.
  • The average emergency management director salary in the finance industry is $155,155.
  • Emergency management directors in the non profits industry earn an average salary of $114,120, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for emergency management directors

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Health Care$160,713$77.27
2Energy$155,155$74.59
3Manufacturing$128,788$61.92
4Finance$121,634$58.48
5Government$121,296$58.32
6Non Profits$114,120$54.87

High paying emergency management director jobs

Emergency management director salary trends

The average emergency management director salary has risen by $40,102 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average emergency management director earned $121,003 annually, but today, they earn $161,105 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for emergency management directors over the last decade.

Compare emergency management director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average emergency management director salary over time

Compare emergency management director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Emergency management director salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$161,000$77.45+2.2%
2024$158,000$75.77+0.2%
2023$157,000$75.60+2.2%
2022$154,000$73.91+3.1%
2021$149,000$71.61+4.5%

Recently added emergency management director salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Ocean SprayDirector, Emerging ChannelsMiami, FL06/19/2025$145,700
City of AtlantaAirport Director-Emergency Management IOCNunez, GA06/10/2025$143,208
Citrus County Sheriff's OfficeEmergency Management Director (External)Noma, FL06/07/2025$90,847
Developmental AssociatesEmergency Management Director, Guilford CountyGreensboro, NC06/06/2025$85,904
Guilford County, NcEmergency Management DirectorGreensboro, NC06/06/2025$85,904
Volunteer FloridaEmergency Management Deputy DirectorTallahassee, FL05/30/2025$60,000
The Coca-Cola CompanyDirector, Emerging Process TechnologiesAtlanta, GA05/27/2025$149,000
TRC Companies, Inc.Emerging Contaminant DirectorBoston, MA05/22/2025$150,000
City of AtlantaAirport Director-Emergency Management IOCNunez, GA05/12/2025$143,208
BMO (Bank of MontrealManaging Director, Group Manager-Emerging Middle MarketIndustry, CA04/23/2025$153,600

Emergency management director salary FAQs

Search for emergency management director jobs

Browse executive management jobs