Emergency Management Specialist
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
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.
Also called: 911 Communications Manager · Emergency Management Coordinator · Emergency Management Director · Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director) · Emergency Manager · Emergency Planner · Emergency Preparedness Manager · Emergency Services Director
O*NET-SOC 11-9161.00 (Emergency Management Directors)
Emergency Management Specialist salary
Wages for emergency management directors across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $44.87.
Emergency Management Specialist pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $90,130 | $129,910 | $199,020 |
| Texas | $58,320 | $93,570 | $163,820 |
| Florida | $55,230 | $99,020 | $164,260 |
| New York | $67,120 | $92,570 | $188,910 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,800 | $81,550 | $135,870 |
| Illinois | $44,110 | $83,820 | $164,100 |
| Ohio | $54,090 | $94,690 | $193,060 |
| Georgia | $50,110 | $83,200 | $152,120 |
| North Carolina | $66,800 | $93,840 | $129,980 |
| Michigan | $57,650 | $87,880 | $135,810 |
Emergency Management Specialist job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 14,000 jobs in 2025 to 14,500 in 2035 (4% change).
- About 1,100 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Average.
How to become an emergency management specialist
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- 5 years or more work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma1.1%
- High school diploma or equivalent4.8%
- Some college, no degree18.9%
- Associate's degree12.1%
- Bachelor's degree30.8%
- Master's degree28.5%
- Doctoral or professional degree3.9%
Related training programs
- Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management
- Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations
- Critical Infrastructure Protection
- Emergency Medical Services Fellowship Program
- Homeland Security
- Protective Services Operations
- Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations
What does an emergency management specialist do?
Common tasks
- 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.
- Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
- Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
- 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.
- Design and administer emergency or disaster preparedness training courses that teach people how to effectively respond to major emergencies and disasters.
- Collaborate with other officials to prepare and analyze damage assessments following disasters or emergencies.
- Inspect facilities and equipment, such as emergency management centers and communications equipment, to determine their operational and functional capabilities in emergency situations.
Most important skills
- Service Orientation
- Looking for ways to help people.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Understanding people's reactions.
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Monitoring
- Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
Emergency Management Specialist certifications
8 of 17 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- American Council for Accredited Certification · Advanced
- International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety · Advanced
- Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials · Core
- American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine · Specialty
- Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials · Core
- American Council for Accredited Certification · Advanced
- Water Loss Specialist (WLS)Restoration Industry Association · Specialty
- International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety · Specialty
See all 17certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Emergency Management Specialist jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more emergency management & safety jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Emergency Management & Safety jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Business Continuity Planners
- Security Managers
- Security Management Specialists
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors
- Medical and Health Services Managers
- Management Analyst
- Compliance Managers
- Forest Fire Inspectors and Prevention Specialists
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
- Information Security Engineers
More emergency management & safety careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Emergency Management Directors. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.