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Emergency Management Directors

General Information

Description

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.

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Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

  1. State and local government31.76%
  2. Federal government29.95%
  3. Private, for profit22.64%
  4. Private, not for profit15.16%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Government & Public Administration

Job Outlook

Projected Job Growth (2022 - 2032)
+3%
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Job Outlook

×

Employment of emergency management directors is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 900 openings for emergency management directors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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    • Emergency Management Specialists
      • Whether it is a natural disaster or man-made as a result of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear incident, emergency management specialists are trained for response and recovery operations anywhere in the world. They prepare emergency plans, coordinate emergency response teams, and train other people to meet mission needs and to minimize casualties and damage in the event of any disaster situation, including floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or enemy attack. Navigate to Military Career Page
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    • Environmental Health and Safety Specialists
      • Environmental health and safety specialists protect the military community through programs to ensure that military facilities and food supplies are free of disease, germs, and other hazardous conditions. These specialists identify, research, and mitigate occupational and environmental health hazards and risks that may negatively impact health, human performance, and environmental health quality. They manage programs related to communicable disease control and prevention, food safety, sanitary compliance, occupational health and safety, hazardous material control, and public health contingency response. They also assess Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear safety. Navigate to Military Career Page
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      • HR managers administer personnel programs by developing and coordinating policies and procedures that support service members. They develop plans for strength accounting and job assignment, performance evaluation and promotions, training, awards, equal opportunity, discipline, and discharge of personnel. They may also assist with programs such as drug and alcohol abuse and control, overseas duty support, family support, recreation, and physical fitness. Navigate to Military Career Page
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      • Search and rescue operations officers are responsible for organizing and leading rescue missions to support personnel in distress. They direct and participate in Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) operations. These officers possess core survival skills, such as swimming/diving or medical aid skills, and train, develop, and assess these skills in other personnel. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Security Officers
      • Security officers plan, administer, and supervise law enforcement and physical security efforts. They establish guidance on and coordinate law enforcement and physical security policy, procedures and practices; anti-terrorism and drug enforcement; customs inspections and crime prevention. Security officers coordinate security exercises and inspections to ensure consistency and program awareness. They are responsible for organizing, staffing, overseeing, and training military security reaction forces. Navigate to Military Career Page
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Salary

Salary Information

Median Salary This is the median, or the midpoint, of the salary range for this career.

$79,180

Median Military Salary Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

$111,723

Explore this career in the Military

State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

Salary Range Salary varies based on years of experience, degree level and location.

$36,560
$168,270
No Information for this section

Education & Interests

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • Bachelor's degree 59%
  • Master's degree 13%
  • Some college 9%
  • Post baccalaureate 9%
  • High school 4%
  • Associate's degree 4%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Less than high school 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • First professional degree 0%
  • Post-secondary certificate 0%

Related College Majors

Select major to see colleges that offer it

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

You may find this career fulfilling if you consider yourself to be:

  • Social — You have an interest in helping, teaching, advising, assisting or providing service to others.
  • Enterprising — You have an interest in managing, negotiating and marketing, or leading and advising others.

Not sure what characteristics best describe you? Take the RIASEC Test.

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership

Knowledge

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Education and Training
  • Public Safety and Security
  • Administration and Management
  • Computers and Electronics

Gain insights into your knowledge by using the ASVAB Career Exploration Program

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Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.