If you want a career that involves helping people, you might want to consider becoming a disaster manager. To find out if this career is for you, read on to find out about what disaster managers do, how to become one and what kind of work environment and salary you can expect.
Duties and Responsibilities
Disaster managers, often called emergency management directors, are responsible for preparing for and responding to disasters. They come up with procedures for natural and man-made disasters with the help of other professionals who are sometimes involved with these events, such as people who work for the government, local police departments or nearby hospitals. Once a plan is made, a disaster manager has to ensure that it meets certain standards. If it does, he or she works with the community and local organizations to make sure that everyone is aware of the plan and can follow it if a disaster occurs. During a disaster, a disaster manager is also responsible for making sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible. These professionals are often in charge of applying for funding so that their plans can be effectively implemented. If funding is granted, they may also have to prepare reports on the progress of their plans or projects.
Becoming a Disaster Manager
This is not an entry-level job, so don’t expect to be able to become a disaster manager right out of high school or even college. Most professionals in this line of work have a bachelor’s degree in emergency management, fire science, public administration or business, but individuals with other degrees that are relevant to the job may be considered for emergency management director positions. While you should be able to get involved in emergency management directly after finishing college, you probably won’t be able to become a director until you have at least five years of experience under you belt. Depending on where you live and who your employer is, you may also need to obtain certification before you’re hired or within a certain number of months after you start your new job.
Work Environment and Pay
If you become a disaster manager, be prepared to work odd hours. While you may have a regular, full-time schedule on paper, disasters don’t wait until 9:00 a.m. to start, and they don’t end by 5:00 p.m. Working in the emergency management field means that you’ll have to be willing to stay on-call most of the time, and you might find yourself racking up quite a lot of overtime hours when disaster strikes. While you’ll spend most of your time working from an office, be prepared to travel and work in stressful situations when emergencies occur. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average disaster manager makes $32.28 per hour, or $67,150 per year. Virtually all professionals in this field earn over $30,000 annually, and the most talented and experienced workers make over $100,000 per year.
Related Resource: Risk Management Specialist
Working in the emergency management field requires hard work, but it’s a great way to help people who are in tough situations. If you’re okay with working odd hours occasionally, love planning and want a career that enables you to make positive changes, you may want become a disaster manager.