Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, emergency management directors earn $136,930 at the median, or about $65.83 an hour. The range runs from $99K at the entry level to $159K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.78), so that salary is closer to $129,448 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,169/month, or 25.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $137K actually covers in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Denver-Aurora-Centennial’s Regional Price Parity (105.78). 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial
Denver-Aurora-Centennial sits well above the national pay line for emergency management directors, local pay runs about 47% higher than the U.S. median of $93K. Rent runs $2,169/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.78), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency management directors in metros near Denver-Aurora-Centennial, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $86K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $99K. Mid-career wages sit at $137K. Top earners bring in $159K or more, a $60K 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Yes — at the median salary of $137K, rent takes 26.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,169/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $99K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,130/month. At HUD’s $2,169/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Local pay is 47% above the national median — $137K here vs. $93K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Denver-Aurora-Centennial compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays $137K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s +47%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $129K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO?
The median is $136,930 a year, that works out to about $66 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $98,830, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $158,530. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $137K enough to live in Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,193/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,169/month, which eats 26.5% 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has a Regional Price Parity of 105.78 (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 $129,448 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.