Emergency Management Directors Salary
In South Dakota, emergency management directors earn $67,180 at the median, or about $32.3 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $98K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.89), which stretches that salary to about $74,736 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,017/month, or 21.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. This is an aggregate across all of South Dakota. BLS does not publish metro-level data for this occupation in this state.
So what does $67K get you in South Dakota?
About emergency management directors
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What this looks like in South Dakota
Pay for emergency management directors in South Dakota runs about 28% below the U.S. median of $93K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,017/month, 21.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, South Dakota can be a reasonable trade-off for emergency management directorss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Dakota
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $67K. Top earners bring in $98K or more, a $49K 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 South Dakota numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Dakota?
Yes — at the median salary of $67K, rent takes 21.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,017/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in South Dakota?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,918/month. At HUD’s $1,017/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 South Dakota?
Local pay runs 28% below the national median — $67K here vs. $93K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Dakota compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
South Dakota pays $67K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $75K — below the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in South Dakota?
The median is $67,180 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $48,640, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $97,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $67K enough to live in South Dakota?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,637/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,017/month, which eats 21.9% 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 South Dakota?
South Dakota has a Regional Price Parity of 89.89 (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 $74,736 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.