Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Wisconsin, emergency management directors earn $77,260 at the median, or about $37.15 an hour. The range runs from $50K at the entry level to $115K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.33), which stretches that salary to about $81,904 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,202/month, or 23.7% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Wisconsin. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $77K actually covers in Wisconsin, month by month
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What this looks like in Wisconsin
Pay for emergency management directors in Wisconsin runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $93K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,202/month, 24.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Wisconsin can be a reasonable trade-off for emergency management directors who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Wisconsin
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $50K. Mid-career wages sit at $77K. Top earners bring in $115K or more, a $65K spread from bottom to top.
Emergency Management Directors salary by metro in Wisconsin
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $91K | +17% | 30 |
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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 Wisconsin?
Yes — at the median salary of $77K, rent takes 24.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,202/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Wisconsin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $50K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,401/month. At HUD’s $1,202/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 Wisconsin?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $77K here vs. $93K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Wisconsin compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Wisconsin pays $77K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — below the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Wisconsin?
The median is $77,260 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,270, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $114,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $77K enough to live in Wisconsin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,974/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,202/month, which eats 24.2% 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 Wisconsin?
Wisconsin has a Regional Price Parity of 94.33 (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 $81,904 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.