Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Jackson, MS, emergency management directors earn $42,970 at the median, or about $20.66 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.05), which stretches that salary to about $48,254 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,288/month, about 43.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Jackson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jackson’s Regional Price Parity (89.05). 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 Jackson
Pay for emergency management directors in Jackson runs about 54% below the U.S. median of $93K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,288/month, which is 44.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.05 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for emergency management directorss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency management directors in metros near Jackson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $93K | $97K |
| Memphis | $87K | $94K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $104K | $112K |
| Knoxville | $85K | $92K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jackson, MS
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $37K 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 Jackson numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Jackson?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 44.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,288/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Jackson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,295/month. At HUD’s $1,288/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Jackson?
Local pay runs 54% below the national median — $43K here vs. $93K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jackson compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Jackson pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -54%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.05), the purchasing-power equivalent is $48K — below the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Jackson, MS?
The median is $42,970 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,250, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $75,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Jackson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,879/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,288/month, which eats 44.7% 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 Jackson?
Jackson has a Regional Price Parity of 89.05 (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 $48,254 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.