Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Iowa, emergency management directors earn $73,700 at the median, or about $35.43 an hour. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $110K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.86), which stretches that salary to about $82,939 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,064/month, or 22% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of Iowa. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $74K get you in Iowa?
About emergency management directors
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What this looks like in Iowa
Pay for emergency management directors in Iowa runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $93K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,064/month, 22.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Iowa can be a reasonable trade-off for emergency management directorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Iowa
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $110K or more, a $64K spread from bottom to top.
Compare to other states
Track emergency management directors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Iowa numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Iowa?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 22.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,064/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Iowa?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,727/month. At HUD’s $1,064/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Iowa?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $74K here vs. $93K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Iowa compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Iowa pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $83K — below the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Iowa?
The median is $73,700 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,450, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $109,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Iowa?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,705/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,064/month, which eats 22.6% 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 Iowa?
Iowa has a Regional Price Parity of 88.86 (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 $82,939 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.