Occupations · Management

Emergency Management Directors

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.

O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 11-9161.00

$86,130median annual wage, May 2024

12,570people employed, United States

▲ 3.0%projected change, 2024→2034

1,000openings a year, incl. replacements

What it pays

A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage

Pay over time

Median up 56% between 2010 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.

BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.

Where the jobs are

Metro area	Median wage	Employed
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	$96,650	580
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	$128,860	310
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	$153,910	300
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	$90,820	270
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA	$100,740	260
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX	$101,870	260
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI	$103,630	240
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	$98,240	180
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	$97,750	170
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	$117,530	170
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	$156,950	150
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$125,530	140

BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation

Typical education to enter: Bachelor's degree · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34

What people in this job actually do

Ordered by how important the work is rated.

Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
Prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies, such as hurricanes, nuclear accidents, and terrorist attacks, and in recovery from these events.
Develop and perform tests and evaluations of emergency management plans in accordance with state and federal regulations.
Collaborate with other officials to prepare and analyze damage assessments following disasters or emergencies.
Design and administer emergency or disaster preparedness training courses that teach people how to effectively respond to major emergencies and disasters.
Keep informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, response efforts, or plan implementation.
Inspect facilities and equipment, such as emergency management centers and communications equipment, to determine their operational and functional capabilities in emergency situations.
Review emergency plans of individual organizations, such as medical facilities, to ensure their adequacy.

O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale

Skills that matter most

Importance, rated 1 to 5.

Speaking4.1

Reading Comprehension4.0

Active Listening4.0

Writing4.0

Critical Thinking4.0

Monitoring4.0

Learning Strategies3.9

Active Learning3.8

Mathematics3.0

Science1.9

O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale

Software and tools

A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.

ESRI ArcGIS software●Microsoft Excel●Microsoft Office software●Microsoft Outlook●Microsoft PowerPoint●Microsoft SharePoint●Microsoft Word●Alert Technologies OpsCenterDigital Engineering Corporation E-MAPSEmergency Managers Weather Information Network EMWINEmergency Services Integrators ESi WebEOCFederal Emergency Management Information System FEMISGeographic information system GIS softwareGraphics softwareIBM Lotus NotesMapInfo ProfessionalMcAfeeNational Center for Crisis and Continuity Coordination NC4 E TeamRelational database softwareSoftRisk Technologies SoftRisk SQLStatistical softwareSungard AssuranceWeb browser software

O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag

What this work is actually like

Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.

4 / 5Considerable preparation — a four-year degree plus several years in the field.

O*NET 30.3 Job Zones

Working conditions that stand out

In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment+1.3 above average

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls−1.0 below average

E-Mail+1.0 above average

Health and Safety of Other Workers+0.9 above average

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks−0.8 below average

Exposed to Contaminants−0.8 below average

Deal With External Customers or the Public in General+0.8 above average

O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2023-08

How people actually get in

Share of workers by the education they hold.

Bachelor's Degree59%

Master's Degree14%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.9%

Some College Courses9%

O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2023-08

What kind of person the work suits

Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.

Enterprising5.1

Conventional4.7

Investigative4.5

O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)

What you take with you

Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.

Service Orientation4.2

Complex Problem Solving4.1

Social Perceptiveness4.0

Coordination4.0

Judgment and Decision Making4.0

Time Management3.8

Instructing3.8

Systems Analysis3.6

O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale

Knowledge the work draws on

Public Safety and SecurityAdministration and ManagementLaw and GovernmentCommunications and MediaEnglish LanguageCustomer and Personal Service

Abilities it leans on

Speech ClarityOral ComprehensionOral ExpressionDeductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionProblem Sensitivity

O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale

How this job is advertised

The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.

Emergency ManagerEmergency PlannerResponse CoordinatorProduction ControllerCivil Defense DirectorPublic Safety Director911 Communications ManagerCivil Preparedness OfficerDisaster Response DirectorEmergency Services DirectorChange Management SpecialistEmergency Management PlannerEmergency Management DirectorEmergency Preparedness Manager

O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation

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What changed since 2015

Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.

Now listed 3

+McAfee+Microsoft SharePoint+Microsoft Outlook

No longer listed 1

−Desktop publishing software

Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.

O*NET 30.3 related occupations

Also called

ParamedicEmergency PlannerEmergency ManagerSafety SpecialistHostage NegotiatorRelocation DirectorEmergency ResponderResponse CoordinatorTraining CoordinatorManagement SpecialistProduction ControllerPublic Safety Director

O*NET 30.3 alternative titles

The same work in Europe

ESCO occupation	ISCO	Match
emergency response coordinator	2263.1	exact
fire commissioner	1112.4	broader
rescue centre manager	1349.20	broader
chief fire officer	1349.8	broader

Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)

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