SOC 11-9161 · Knoxville, TN metro

Emergency Management Directors Salary in Knoxville, TN

The average salary for emergency management directors in Knoxville, Tennessee is $90,520 a year ($43.52 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $85,480: half of the 50 people in this job in the Knoxville, TN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. average for this job ($102,420).

$90,520average per year

$43.52 / hourMedian $85,480Take-home ≈ $72,511

  • $52K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $85KMedian
  • $110K75th
  • $148K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

50people in this job
-12%vs U.S. average
#2 of 3Tennessee metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Emergency Management Directors pay range in Knoxville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $147,860 or more. The middle half of emergency management directors in Knoxville earn between $62,410 and $110,420.

  • $52K10th
  • $62K25th
  • $85KMedian
  • $110K75th
  • $148K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$90,520$7,543$43.52
Median$85,480$7,123$41.10
Entry level (25th percentile)$62,410$5,201$30.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$110,420$9,202$53.09

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Emergency Management Directors pay in Knoxville vs. Tennessee and the U.S.

Emergency management directors in Knoxville earn about the same as the Tennessee average ($88,970) and 12% less than the U.S. average ($102,420). At the median the gap is -8% against the U.S. median of $93,330.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Knoxville$90,520$85,480$51,590$147,86050
Tennessee$88,970$81,800$55,780$139,420370
United States$102,420$93,330$54,210$166,43013,500

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Emergency Management Directors salary after taxes in Knoxville

On the average salary of $90,520, a single filer in Knoxville takes home about $72,511 a year, or $6,043 a month and $2,789 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.

Tennessee paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Knoxville a good place for emergency management directors? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Knoxville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.6), so the average $90,520 buys what about $97,787 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Knoxville ($47,080). A typical home costs $367,158, or 4.1 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $90,520 is worth in another city

Emergency Management Directors salary in other Tennessee cities

Knoxville ranks 2nd of 3 Tennessee metro areas for this job; Nashville pays the most ($103,310).

All Emergency Management Directors salaries in Tennessee

Highest-paying cities for emergency management directors

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($189,540).

Emergency Management Directors salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Emergency Management Directors in Knoxville, TN.

Emergency Management Directors salary in Knoxville: questions

How much do emergency management directors make an hour in Knoxville?

$43.52 an hour on average, and $41.10 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level emergency management directors salary in Knoxville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $62,410, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the emergency management directors take-home pay in Knoxville?

About $72,511 a year ($6,043 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $90,520. Tennessee has no state income tax.

Do emergency management directors earn more in Knoxville than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% less than the U.S. average for this job ($102,420).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 11-9161; area Knoxville, TN (28940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.4%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and no state income tax.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.46, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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