To accurately estimate the seismic energy radiated in an earthquake, it is important to use appropriate corrections for path and source effects. Using slip models obtained by inversion of seismic data, we examine the effect of directivity on estimates of radiated energy and develop a method to correct for this source effect. From our calculations we suggest that the directivity correction for the earthquakes we studied is less than a factor of three; we also conclude that the directivity correction for dip‐slip earthquakes with rupture propagating along strike is less than a factor of two at teleseismic distances. Thus teleseismic energy estimates of large subduction zone earthquakes will not be significantly affected by directivity.