Career Explorer Management
Grows with AI
Emergency management directors
Plan 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.
More resilient than most: more resilient than 61% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it high), and US jobs are projected to change by +3.9% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on emotional intelligence and creative vision.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $93,330
- Job growth to 2035
- +3.9%
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- People doing it (2025)
- 14,000
- Usual route in
- Bachelor's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Maintain current knowledge in area of expertise
- Prepare informational or instructional materials
- Evaluate programs, practices, or processes
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Develop contingency or emergency response plans
- Coordinate activities with clients, agencies, or organizations
- Coordinate group, community, or public activities
What the work looks like
- 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.
- Develop and maintain liaisons with municipalities, county departments, and similar entities to facilitate plan development, response effort coordination, and exchanges of personnel and equipment.
- Coordinate disaster response or crisis management activities, such as ordering evacuations, opening public shelters, and implementing special needs plans and programs.
- Prepare emergency situation status reports that describe response and recovery efforts, needs, and preliminary damage assessments.
- Maintain and update all resource materials associated with emergency preparedness plans.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Entertainment and recreation managers, except gamblingGrows with AI, Index 68, +6.0%
- Social and community service managersGrows with AI, Index 63, +7.2%
- Occupational therapistsGrows with AI, Index 84, +14.8%
- Medical and health services managersGrows with AI, Index 76, +24.2%
Also known as: Emergency Management Director, Emergency Management System Director (EMS Director), Emergency Planner, Public Safety Director, 911 Communications Manager, Emergency Management Coordinator, Emergency Manager, Emergency Preparedness Manager.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.