Emergency Management Directors
Also called: Emergency Management Director, Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director), Emergency Planner, Public Safety DirectorPlan and direct disaster response or crisis management activities, provide disaster preparedness training, and prepare emergency plans and procedures for natural (e.g., hurricanes, floods, earthquakes), wartime, or technological (e.g., nuclear power plant emergencies or hazardous materials spills) disasters or hostage situations.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 18 of its 23 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 3.9% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 73% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $101,850 | $75,370 to $132,630 | 120 |
| Arizona | $81,970 | $66,040 to $102,820 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $50,180 | $40,100 to $65,890 | 160 |
| California | $129,910 | $105,320 to $163,130 | 1,170 |
| Colorado | $129,660 | $103,630 to $136,930 | not published |
| Connecticut | $113,380 | $87,150 to $143,040 | 180 |
| District of Columbia | $184,350 | $141,710 to $195,190 | 150 |
| Florida | $99,020 | $72,060 to $137,820 | 720 |
| Georgia | $83,200 | $63,840 to $110,190 | 430 |
| Hawaii | $74,290 | $66,720 to $113,940 | 90 |
| Idaho | $99,720 | $85,230 to $126,940 | 80 |
| Illinois | $83,820 | $61,910 to $125,530 | 450 |
| Iowa | $73,700 | $59,520 to $89,560 | 130 |
| Kansas | $68,000 | $58,720 to $90,870 | 140 |
| Kentucky | $74,730 | $44,990 to $93,100 | 150 |
| Louisiana | $96,550 | $72,110 to $118,500 | 180 |
| Maine | $84,050 | $80,070 to $107,200 | 80 |
| Maryland | $107,200 | $85,890 to $146,810 | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $123,250 | $97,490 to $159,640 | 220 |
| Michigan | $87,880 | $68,340 to $112,410 | 220 |
| Minnesota | $106,880 | $87,980 to $135,200 | 190 |
| Mississippi | $48,650 | $42,160 to $70,660 | 230 |
| Missouri | $75,660 | $52,070 to $101,690 | 310 |
| Montana | $62,770 | $56,050 to $79,830 | 90 |
| Nebraska | $89,740 | $64,610 to $121,880 | 120 |
| Nevada | $105,570 | $74,690 to $151,660 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $77,420 | $69,470 to $103,880 | 50 |
| New Jersey | $120,990 | $96,180 to $124,090 | 490 |
| New Mexico | $145,550 | $97,990 to $172,370 | 170 |
| New York | $92,570 | $78,830 to $124,500 | 790 |
| North Carolina | $93,840 | $78,010 to $118,920 | 420 |
| North Dakota | $76,640 | $65,220 to $94,960 | 80 |
| Ohio | $94,690 | $69,650 to $123,910 | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $60,990 | $48,330 to $84,160 | 310 |
| Oregon | $110,720 | $99,180 to $131,940 | 120 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,550 | $62,350 to $103,220 | 520 |
| Rhode Island | $87,690 | $78,540 to $134,410 | 30 |
| South Carolina | $93,680 | $67,390 to $128,050 | 330 |
| South Dakota | $67,180 | $51,270 to $81,590 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $81,800 | $63,930 to $103,390 | 370 |
| Texas | $93,570 | $69,920 to $130,620 | 1,210 |
| Utah | $84,860 | $66,000 to $98,220 | 170 |
| Virginia | $99,860 | $79,420 to $132,530 | 450 |
| Washington | $130,780 | $108,740 to $158,160 | 180 |
| West Virginia | $60,460 | $49,990 to $75,690 | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $77,260 | $64,340 to $95,750 | 240 |
| Wyoming | $64,370 | $59,650 to $76,450 | 50 |
Nationally: $93,330. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 18 of its 23 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Consult with officials of local and area governments, schools, hospitals, and other institutions to determine their needs and capabilities in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans. | Not published |
| AI alone | Prepare plans that outline operating procedures to be used in response to disasters or emergencies, such as hurricanes, nuclear accidents, and terrorist attacks, and in recovery from these events. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| AI alone | Develop and perform tests and evaluations of emergency management plans in accordance with state and federal regulations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Collaborate with other officials to prepare and analyze damage assessments following disasters or emergencies. | Not published |
| AI + software | Design and administer emergency or disaster preparedness training courses that teach people how to effectively respond to major emergencies and disasters. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep informed of activities or changes that could affect the likelihood of an emergency, response efforts, or plan implementation. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect facilities and equipment, such as emergency management centers and communications equipment, to determine their operational and functional capabilities in emergency situations. | Not published |
| AI alone | Review emergency plans of individual organizations, such as medical facilities, to ensure their adequacy. | Not published |
| AI + software | Keep informed of federal, state, and local regulations affecting emergency plans, and ensure that plans adhere to those regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Attend meetings, conferences, and workshops related to emergency management to learn new information and to develop working relationships with other emergency management specialists. | Not published |
| AI + software | Conduct surveys to determine the types of emergency-related needs to be addressed in disaster planning, or provide technical support to others conducting such surveys. | Not published |
| AI alone | Propose alteration of emergency response procedures, based on regulatory changes, technological changes, or knowledge gained from outcomes of previous emergency situations. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop instructional materials for the public and make presentations to citizens' groups to provide information on emergency plans and their implementation processes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Apply for federal funding for emergency-management-related needs, and administer and report on the progress of such grants. | Not published |
| Not much | Train local groups in the preparation of long-term plans that are compatible with federal and state plans. | Not published |
| AI alone | Study emergency plans used elsewhere to gather information for plan development. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide communities with assistance in applying for federal funding for emergency management facilities, radiological instrumentation, and related items. | Not published |
| AI alone | Develop and implement training procedures and strategies for radiological protection, detection, and decontamination. | Not published |
| Not much | Inventory and distribute nuclear, biological, and chemical detection and contamination equipment, providing instruction in its maintenance and use. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 23 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #4 Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- #5 Provide information or assistance to the public
- #12 Explain regulations, policies, or procedures
- and 2 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop contingency or emergency response plans | |||
| Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise | |||
| Provide information or assistance to the public | |||
| Explain regulations, policies, or procedures | |||
| Implement procedures or processes | |||
| Prepare informational or instructional materials | |||
| Evaluate programs, practices, or processes | |||
| Advise others on business or operational matters |
Show all 23 activities
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Advise others on legal or regulatory matters | |||
| Develop professional relationships or networks | |||
| Collect data about consumer needs or opinions | |||
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Prepare legal or regulatory documents | |||
| Coordinate group, community, or public activities | |||
| Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Monitor operations to ensure compliance with regulations or standards | |||
| Prepare proposals or grant applications | |||
| Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures | |||
| Teach safety procedures or standards to others | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report70%
- A presentation or slides7%
- A plan or strategy5%
- An explanation or answer3%
- A chart or visualization3%
How they worked with Claude
74% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for emergency management directors specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 23,282 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 2 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 6%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 5 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 2%
Where people moved in from
of 26,537 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 3%
- 3 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 3%
- 4 Registered Nurses High +5.6% 2%
- 5 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 2%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 5% high school
- 9% some college
- 5% associate's
- 59% bachelor's
- 9% post-bachelor's certificate
- 14% master's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 22 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 5% high school
- 16% some college
- 12% associate's
- 31% bachelor's
- 28% master's
- 5% professional degree
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 216 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
6 programs, such as Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations, Protective Services Operations and Homeland Security.
See all
- Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations
- Protective Services Operations
- Homeland Security
- Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management
- Critical Infrastructure Protection
- Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
68.8% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 30.2% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 9.6% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (PRODUCTION CONTROLLER). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Emergency Management Directors” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/11-9161.00