Emergency Management Directors

Job opportunities for emergency management directors are expected to increase by 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This is about as fast as the average for all careers. It’s important to remember that this is a small (but high-profile occupation), and only about 1,000 openings become available each year—mostly as a result of retirements or when EMDs leave the field for other reasons.

In the public sector, job opportunities are tied to the availability of funding, and the DOL says that “counties may not hire full-time, stand-alone emergency management directors, choosing instead to shift the job responsibilities to the fire chief, police chief, or other government employees.”