All About Emergency Management Directors
Job Description & Duties 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.
Life As an Emergency Management Director: What Do They Do?
- Provide communities with assistance in applying for federal funding for emergency management facilities, radiological instrumentation, and other related items.
- Keep informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, as well as those that could affect response efforts and details of plan implementation.
- Keep informed of federal, state, and local regulations affecting emergency plans and ensure that plans adhere to these regulations.
- Inspect facilities and equipment, such as emergency management centers and communications equipment, to determine their operational and functional capabilities in emergency situations.
- Conduct surveys to determine the types of emergency-related needs to be addressed in disaster planning or provide technical support to others conducting such surveys.
- Review emergency plans of individual organizations, such as medical facilities, to ensure their adequacy.
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What Every Emergency Management Director Should Know
Emergency Management Directors state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Other Emergency Management Director Job Titles
- Disaster Response Director
- Emergency Planner
- Civil Defense Director
- Public Safety Director
- Hazard Mitigation Officer
Emergency Management Director Employment Estimates
In the United States, there were 10,100 jobs for Emergency Management Director in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 7.9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 800 new jobs for Emergency Management Director by 2026. There will be an estimated 900 positions for Emergency Management Director per year.

The states with the most job growth for Emergency Management Director are Arizona, Utah, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in New Jersey, Wyoming, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Emergency Management Director Salary
The typical yearly salary for Emergency Management Directors is somewhere between $40,460 and $141,130.

Emergency Management Directors who work in District of Columbia, California, or Washington, make the highest salaries.
How much do Emergency Management Directors make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $69,060 |
Alaska | $85,120 |
Arkansas | $47,680 |
California | $118,320 |
Colorado | $87,060 |
Connecticut | $91,120 |
District of Columbia | $119,820 |
Florida | $83,580 |
Georgia | $73,090 |
Hawaii | $81,660 |
Idaho | $86,000 |
Illinois | $81,830 |
Indiana | $52,810 |
Iowa | $69,300 |
Kansas | $55,780 |
Kentucky | $50,490 |
Louisiana | $83,610 |
Maine | $57,200 |
Maryland | $104,770 |
Massachusetts | $92,480 |
Michigan | $72,500 |
Minnesota | $84,990 |
Mississippi | $51,200 |
Missouri | $63,690 |
Montana | $52,740 |
Nebraska | $60,330 |
New Hampshire | $63,780 |
New Jersey | $93,410 |
New Mexico | $95,580 |
New York | $99,960 |
North Carolina | $74,600 |
North Dakota | $69,480 |
Ohio | $75,530 |
Oklahoma | $53,660 |
Oregon | $81,460 |
Pennsylvania | $69,850 |
Rhode Island | $86,710 |
South Carolina | $65,130 |
South Dakota | $49,760 |
Tennessee | $87,350 |
Texas | $89,810 |
Utah | $60,820 |
Vermont | $82,210 |
Virginia | $89,580 |
Washington | $113,860 |
West Virginia | $73,390 |
Wisconsin | $74,140 |
Wyoming | $57,810 |
What Tools & Technology do Emergency Management Directors Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Emergency Management Directors:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Web browser software
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Graphics software
- Statistical software
- McAfee
- IBM Lotus Notes
- Desktop publishing software
- Relational database software
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- MapInfo Professional
- SunGard Assurance
How do I Become an Emergency Management Director?
Individuals working as an Emergency Management Director have obtained the following education levels:

What work experience do I need to become an Emergency Management Director?

Where Emergency Management Directors Work

Emergency Management Directors work in the following industries:

Other Jobs You May be Interested In
Those interested in being an Emergency Management Director may also be interested in:
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators
- Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors
References:
Image Credit: Staff Sgt. Christopher Hubenthal via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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