SOC 11-9161 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Emergency Management Directors — Washington
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
In Washington, DC the median wage for Emergency Management Directors reaches $163,220 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.0%
- Openings per year
- 1,000
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- 5 years or more
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Washington, DC the median wage for Emergency Management Directors reaches $163,220 a year. That is 74.9% more than the national median of $93,330. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $114,520 and $195,190. The lowest tenth earn under $89,990, while the highest tenth earn more than $195,190.
The area has 310 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.12 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 41st of 707 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $89,990 | −3.6% |
| 25th | $114,520 | +22.7% |
| Median (50th) | $163,220 | +74.9% |
| 75th | $195,190 | +109.1% |
| 90th | $195,190 | +109.1% |
| Mean | $155,300 | +66.4% |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Washington run 8.9% above the national average, so the median of $163,220 buys what $149,881 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 60.6% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$163,220as reported by BLSLocal price level
108.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$149,881US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $163,220 a year, 74.9% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $89,990 to $195,190 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 310 jobs in this occupation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Emergency Management Directors in Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $163,220, or $78.47 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $93,330, so pay in Washington, DC is 74.9% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Washington, DC earns more than $195,190 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $89,990 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 310 jobs in this occupation in Washington, DC. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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