Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Birmingham, AL, emergency management directors earn $88,510 at the median, or about $42.55 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $215K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.64), which stretches that salary to about $96,584 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,375/month, or 24.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $89K actually covers in Birmingham, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Birmingham’s Regional Price Parity (91.64). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About emergency management directors
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What this looks like in Birmingham
Emergency management directors pay in Birmingham tracks closely to the national median, $89K locally vs. $93K nationwide, a 5% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,375/month, 24.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency management directors in metros near Birmingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $130K | $114K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $104K | $104K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $93K | $97K |
| Jackson | $43K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Birmingham, AL
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $89K. Top earners bring in $215K or more, a $166K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Management Directors pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Emergency Management Directors salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $184K | +98% | 150 |
| New Mexico | $146K | +56% | 170 |
| Washington | $131K | +40% | 180 |
| California | $130K | +39% | 1,170 |
| Colorado | $130K | +39% | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $123K | +32% | 220 |
| New Jersey | $121K | +30% | 490 |
| Connecticut | $113K | +21% | 180 |
| Oregon | $111K | +19% | 120 |
| Maryland | $107K | +15% | 150 |
| Minnesota | $107K | +15% | 190 |
| Nevada | $106K | +13% | 60 |
| Alaska | $102K | +9% | 120 |
| Virginia | $100K | +7% | 450 |
| Idaho | $100K | +7% | 80 |
| Florida | $99K | +6% | 720 |
| Louisiana | $97K | +3% | 180 |
| Ohio | $95K | +1% | 250 |
| North Carolina | $94K | +1% | 420 |
| South Carolina | $94K | +0% | 330 |
| Texas | $94K | +0% | 1,210 |
| New York | $93K | -1% | 790 |
| Nebraska | $90K | -4% | 120 |
| Michigan | $88K | -6% | 220 |
| Rhode Island | $88K | -6% | 30 |
| Utah | $85K | -9% | 170 |
| Maine | $84K | -10% | 80 |
| Illinois | $84K | -10% | 450 |
| Georgia | $83K | -11% | 430 |
| Arizona | $82K | -12% | 160 |
| Tennessee | $82K | -12% | 370 |
| Pennsylvania | $82K | -13% | 520 |
| New Hampshire | $77K | -17% | 50 |
| Wisconsin | $77K | -17% | 240 |
| North Dakota | $77K | -18% | 80 |
| Missouri | $76K | -19% | 310 |
| Kentucky | $75K | -20% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $74K | -20% | 90 |
| Iowa | $74K | -21% | 130 |
| Kansas | $68K | -27% | 140 |
| South Dakota | $67K | -28% | 120 |
| Wyoming | $64K | -31% | 50 |
| Montana | $63K | -33% | 90 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -35% | 310 |
| West Virginia | $60K | -35% | 120 |
| Arkansas | $50K | -46% | 160 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -48% | 230 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track emergency management directors salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Birmingham numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Birmingham?
Yes — at the median salary of $89K, rent takes 24.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,375/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Birmingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,244/month. At HUD’s $1,375/month FMR, rent would take 42% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is emergency management director a high-paying job in Birmingham?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $89K locally vs. $93K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Birmingham compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Birmingham pays $89K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Birmingham, AL?
The median is $88,510 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,740, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $214,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $89K enough to live in Birmingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,533/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,375/month, which eats 24.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a emergency management directors salary go in Birmingham?
Birmingham has a Regional Price Parity of 91.64 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median emergency management directors salary is worth about $96,584 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do emergency management directors get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.