How to Become an Emergency Management Director:
The Definitive Guide

What is an Emergency Management Director?

An Emergency Management Director is responsible for creating plans in case disaster strikes.

They are also responsible for contacting the people in charge of events, whether that’s political leaders, nonprofit organizations, or government agencies.

The most important role for an Emergency Management Director is to ensure that the plan is put in place and executed to perfection.

Emergency Management Directors will respond efficiently to any issue that may arise, whether it’s a natural disaster, terrorist attack, bombing, etc.

The Emergency Management Director is in charge of creating the plan and executing it.

Duties

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Salary

On average in the United States, an Emergency Management Director can make around $142,000 a year.

If you are someone that is just starting out in the career, it is more likely that you will make around $124,000 a year to begin.

When you have more experience within the field and have worked as an Emergency Management Director for some years, it is possible to make up to $160,000 a year.

Some of the things that might factor into the variation in salary are education, certifications, specializations and even the location of where you work.

The number of years that an Emergency Management Director has worked can also factor into salary.

• Annually
• Monthly
• Hourly

*Salary information based on the May 2023 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey.
Conducted by: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Labor.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

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How to Become an Emergency Management Director

Step 1Have a High School Diploma or GED

No matter what type of field you plan on going into, if you want a college degree you will need to have a High School Diploma or a GED.

Some of the subjects that are important when thinking about a career as an Emergency Management Director include:

• Mathematics
• Social science
• Psychology
• Life science

Most colleges will not accept those that have a GPA of 2.0 into their programs.

This is something to think about before you start applying for schools.

Before entering a college program to become an Emergency Management Director, you’ll want to make sure you have skills like:

• Communication – Emergency Management Directors must write, read, and speak well so that others can hear them.
• Critical thinking – Emergency Management Directors need to have multiple plans of action in case of issues with their previous plan.
• Leadership – Organization and leading groups of people is a large part of this career.

Step 2Earn a Bachelor's Degree

Now that you have applied to the school that you want, it’s time to earn your degree.

If you want to become an Emergency Management Director, you’ll need a Bachelors’s degree in business, public administration, accounting, finance, public health or emergency management.

Sometimes it’s even required to have a degree in computer science, information systems administration, or some other tech degree.

Some of the things that you can expect to learn in a typical public administration or emergency management are:

• Organizational governance
• Finance
• Administration
• Loss prevention
• Management
• International Business

Emergency Management Directors can work practically anywhere, so there may be a variety of subjects you learn based on your location and standards.

Step 3Get Work Experience

After you have obtained a Bachelors’s degree, it’s time to put in the hours at work.

It probably won’t come easy at first, because these jobs can be hard to find.

Most times, in order to become an Emergency Management Director, you’ll need to have several years of job experience.

There are some different ways to achieve this:

• Military
• Law enforcement
• Fire safety
• Other Emergency Management field

Previous work experience in these areas shows employers that you have the skills and knowledge to keep people safe in case of an emergency.

Obtaining employment can be difficult for this career, however, it is a very serious job and should not be taken lightly.

This means that most, if not all, Emergency Management Directors should have experience in law enforcement or another emergency response team career.

Step 4Become Certified

After you gain experience, it’s possible that you’ll need to become licensed.

Some states require this, and some states opt-out.

Many states and agencies offer voluntary certifications to show additional skills.

Some employers may even prefer that their employees become Certified Emergency Managers or Certified Business Continuity Professionals.

Those that are interested in the Certified Emergency Manager certification can find this certificate through the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Others that are interested in the Certified Business Continuity Professional certification can find more information through the Disaster Recovery Institute International.

In order to obtain either of these certifications, you’ll need several years of experience.

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Education

In order to become an Emergency Management Director, a Bachelors’s degree is required.

Some people opt to start their college degrees at community colleges and then go on to larger universities after obtaining their Associate’s degree.

Others start off at a four-year college in hopes of gaining their Bachelor’s all in one step.

Either way is great, but if you want a Bachelors degree to become an Emergency Management Director, you’ll want to study:

• Business
• Public Administration
• Accounting
• Finance
• Emergency Management
• Public Health
• Fire Science
• Homeland Security

Emergency Management Directors that work with private companies may need a degree in:

• Information Systems Administration
• Computer Science
• IT

Most of the courses that a person who wants to become an Emergency Management Director will take are the same across the majors, however, there may be some differences.

The main classes include:

• Communication
• Business Ethics
• Financial Management
• Critical Thinking
• Management Theory and Practice
• Finance for Business
• Global Business Strategies

A more specific degree in Emergency Management can include courses like:

• Policing in Society
• Civil Rights and Liberties
• Urban Politics
• Crime and Technology
• Criminal Law

Usually, when first starting out in college, students like to begin their core classes that aren’t as specific to their major.

As they gain more experience in college, the classes become more specialized.

The typical Bachelor’s degree can take around four years to complete.

There are many important factors when it comes to deciding which major to begin when pursuing a career as an Emergency Management Director.

Keep in mind the basis of the career is to prevent emergencies and keep people safe.

The curriculum of the degree you plan to achieve will likely cover sensitive topics, and will be based on the understanding of current trends and public safety as it relates to management.

With a Bachelors’s degree in public safety or another similar field, the focus is on leadership, public policy, politics, and administration.

Video About The Career

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Certification

Now that you have your shiny new Bachelors’s degree, let’s talk about becoming certified.

You’ll need to have a little bit of experience, typically 3-5 years, before being eligible to become a Certified Emergency Management Director.

Although some states do require that their Emergency Management Directors become certified, it’s not necessary everywhere, so make sure you check where you work.

There are a couple of different types of certifications that an Emergency Management Director can earn.

The first is the Certified Emergency Management Director.

This certification is given through the International Associations of Emergency Managers.

In order to be eligible for this certification, several things are required:

• Three years of comprehensive emergency management experience
• Bachelors degree in Emergency Management or equivalent
• List of 6 professional contributions made in the last year
• One signed letter of reference and three other references
• A score of 75% out of 100 on the certification exam
• Essay
• 100 hours of general management training

The certification fee is $400 and must be renewed every five years

The other is called the Certified Business Continuity Professional.

This certification is given by the Disaster Recovery Institute International.

In order to be eligible for the Certified Business Continuity Professional certification, hopefuls must:

• Demonstrate knowledge and working experience
• Have at least two years of experience as an Emergency Management Director
• Demonstrate specific practices in five different subject matters

You’ll also need to pass the exam with a 75% out of 100.

There are typically several essay questions on this exam, and these subjects areas include:

• Business Impact Analysis
• Developing Business Continuity Strategies
• Developing and Implementing Plans
• Maintaining Plans

The exam costs $400 to take and must be renewed every year.

For both exams, the references must be at least two people who can document the experience of the applicant in the subject area.

Certification Example:

Average Training Program Duration: 4+ Years

The average training program to become an Emergency Management Director is around eight years.

This time includes the four years that it takes to earn a Bachelors’s degree.

It also includes the time that it takes to gain certifications and experience in the field.

Many employers will not hire people that don’t have the experience, so this is extremely important.

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Popular Programs

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Job Outlook

Although the job of an Emergency Management Director is not expected to grow very much in the next ten years, only 5 percent, it is still an important job.

The importance of preparing for disasters and having a plan will allow this career to continue to grow.

The risk of emergencies in situations like rallies, political conferences, and other types of community gatherings will sustain this career as well.

One of the downsides to this job is that competition for the career will be strong.

There aren’t many job opportunities for this type of career, but the ones that are available are very lucrative.

Employment Growth Projection: 6%

That's a higher than average projected growth of 600 jobs.

EM Director: Interest Over Time

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Should You Become an Emergency Management Director?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How much does an Emergency Management Director make?

On average in the United States, an Emergency Management Director can make around $140,000 a year.

Those that are just starting out working as Emergency Management Directors can expect to make less than that at around $124,000 a year.

When an Emergency Management Director has many years of experience, a wealth of knowledge and certifications, they can expect to make around $160,000 a year.

Q. What does an Emergency Management Director do?

The Emergency Management Director is the one in charge of keeping everyone safe at events and gatherings.

They are also responsible for making plans to keep everyone safe is disaster strikes.

Some of the things that an Emergency Management Director might do on a daily basis can include:

• Speaking to law enforcement
• Creating escape plans
• Organizing
• Speaking with employees
• Running drills

Q. How long does it take to become an Emergency Management Director?

It can take around four years to earn a degree to become an Emergency Management Director.

However, it also takes a couple of years of experience in a related field to get hired in most cases.

The fields that a person can gain experience in are areas like:

• Fire departments
• Homeland Security
• Police offices

The formal education only takes four years, but the knowledge one must obtain in this career will last a lifetime.

Q. Is there a demand for Emergency Management Directors?

The short answer is yes and no.

Yes, there will always be a demand for Emergency Management Directors because they are the ones who will keep others safe in case a disaster happens.

However, the career is difficult to get into and there aren’t many jobs available as of right now.

This means that although the job is in demand, it’s hard to find the right employment.

Q. How much does it cost to become an Emergency Management Director?

It can be scary to think about how much it may cost to begin a career that you’ll probably love, so looking into the cost to become an Emergency Management Director is a smart idea.

Since it requires a Bachelors’s degree to work as an Emergency Management Director, it can cost around $35,000-$55,000 to earn a degree.

Then you have to think about certification.

It can cost $400 to take a certification exam, and if you fail you must take it again.

Plus, every couple of years you will have to renew that certification for $250.

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