Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, emergency management directors earn $101,130 at the median, or about $48.62 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $158K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $97,625 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,781/month, or 27.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $101K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Emergency management directors pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin tracks closely to the national median, $101K locally vs. $93K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,781/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency management directors in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | $83K | $88K |
| Kansas City | $93K | $101K |
| Jefferson City | $71K | $80K |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $78K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $158K or more, a $107K 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 28.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,109/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $101K locally vs. $93K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s +8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $101,130 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,810, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $158,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,210/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 28.7% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (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 $97,625 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.
