Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Louisiana, emergency management directors earn $96,550 at the median, or about $46.42 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $144K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.28), which stretches that salary to about $110,621 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,191/month, or 19.5% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Louisiana. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $97K get you in Louisiana?
About emergency management directors
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Louisiana
Emergency management directors pay in Louisiana tracks closely to the national median, $97K locally vs. $93K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,191/month, 19.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.28 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Louisiana
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $97K. Top earners bring in $144K or more, a $85K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Management Directors salary by metro in Louisiana
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge | $106K | +10% | 30 |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $104K | +8% | 50 |
Compare to other states
Track emergency management directors salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Louisiana numbers change.
Related careers in Management
Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Louisiana?
Yes — at the median salary of $97K, rent takes 19.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,191/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Louisiana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,534/month. At HUD’s $1,191/month FMR, rent would take 34% 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 Louisiana?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $97K locally vs. $93K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Louisiana compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Louisiana pays $97K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.28), the purchasing-power equivalent is $111K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Louisiana?
The median is $96,550 a year, that works out to about $46 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,900, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $144,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $97K enough to live in Louisiana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,066/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,191/month, which eats 19.6% 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 Louisiana?
Louisiana has a Regional Price Parity of 87.28 (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 $110,621 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.