Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, emergency management directors earn $126,570 at the median, or about $60.85 an hour. The range runs from $81K at the entry level to $197K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $116,902 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 38.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $127K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits well above the national pay line for emergency management directors, local pay runs about 36% higher than the U.S. median of $93K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 38.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency management directors in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | $134K | $130K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $97K | $102K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $101K | $90K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $83K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $81K. Mid-career wages sit at $127K. Top earners bring in $197K or more, a $116K 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 quarterly. We'll email you when Boston-Cambridge-Newton numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $127K, rent takes 38.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $81K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,885/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Local pay is 36% above the national median — $127K here vs. $93K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 8% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $127K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s +36%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $117K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $126,570 a year, that works out to about $61 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $81,410, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $196,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $127K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,578/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 38.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a emergency management directors salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median emergency management directors salary is worth about $116,902 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.