Emergency Management Directors Salary
In Worcester, MA, emergency management directors earn $133,690 at the median, or about $64.27 an hour. The range runs from $83K at the entry level to $174K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.52), that's roughly $130,404 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,056/month, or 25.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $134K get you in Worcester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Worcester’s Regional Price Parity (102.52). 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 Worcester
Worcester sits well above the national pay line for emergency management directors, local pay runs about 43% higher than the U.S. median of $93K. Rent runs $2,056/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 102.52) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for emergency management directors in metros near Worcester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $127K | $117K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $97K | $102K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $101K | $90K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $83K | $83K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Worcester, MA
Entry-level emergency management directors (10th percentile) start around $83K. Mid-career wages sit at $134K. Top earners bring in $174K or more, a $91K 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
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 Worcester numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a emergency management director afford a 2BR apartment alone in Worcester?
Yes — at the median salary of $134K, rent takes 25.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,056/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for emergency management directors in Worcester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new emergency management directors typically earn — is $83K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,988/month. At HUD’s $2,056/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Worcester?
Local pay is 43% above the national median — $134K here vs. $93K nationally.
How does Worcester compare to the national average for emergency management directors?
Worcester pays $134K median vs. the U.S. average of $93K — that’s +43%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $130K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do emergency management directors make in Worcester, MA?
The median is $133,690 a year, that works out to about $64 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $83,140, and experienced emergency management directors can clear $173,750. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $134K enough to live in Worcester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,954/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,056/month, which eats 25.8% 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 Worcester?
Worcester has a Regional Price Parity of 102.52 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median emergency management directors salary is worth about $130,404 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.