Prepare plans and coordinate agencies to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies.
You may also see this posted as: Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director), Emergency Planner, Public Safety Director, 911 Communications Manager, Emergency Management Coordinator, Emergency Manager.
Offices, emergency centers, and field sites
On-call during emergencies
Enterprising
leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
O*NET job zone 4 of 5
High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Bachelor's degree
Training path: Bachelor's plus emergency planning experience.
Related work experience: 5 years or more.
On-the-job training: None.
No license required to start in most places.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
Plans a community's response to disasters and coordinates the agencies that handle them.
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Standard Occupational Classification 11-9161. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.