Emergency management jobs only begin under the headings of disaster management, emergency preparedness, homeland security and community support. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), emergency management crosses public, private and industry barriers, with top employers in all levels and disciplines of government as well as hospitals, education, community relief services, and utility and power providers. Top-paying industries include oil and gas, electrical power, water treatment, waste remediation and disposal, and scientific research and development. Entry-level jobs demonstrate the diverse yet universal need for emergency management majors.
Resource: 20 Top Emergency Management Bachelor’s Degree Programs under $23,000 Average Net 2014
1. Emergency Management Specialist
Specialist is the key blanket term for emergency or disaster management professionals who work in nearly every sector, responsible for covering particular contingencies. While managers typically oversee the overall process of developing response plans, organizing training for staff, addressing preparedness issues and coordinating with emergency agencies and personnel, teams of specialists do what the title indicates – they specialize. Careers can be rooted in any aspect of emergency or contingency planning and implementation, from budgets and finance to education and training, public health or even cooperation with the National Guard. Certification in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Incident Management System is often required or highly desired. The BLS cites annual median salaries over $50,000, with the top 90th percentile earning in the $90,000s.
2. Emergency Preparedness Training and Exercise Coordinator/Specialist
Often labeled as emergency program specialists, training and exercise coordinators educate and train the professionals who must execute established response plans. Often, coordinators are involved in the planning, designing training packages, manuals and pamphlets and conducting the actual training. They often participate in scheduled practice, mock or field exercises, both in assisting participants and in assessing plans’ effectiveness and execution. Training and exercise specialists and coordinators work extensively with other emergency agencies, and it’s a people-oriented career that encompasses both natural emergencies and hazardous, man-made disasters. Depending on level of responsibility and geographic location, the annual median salary for training and development specialists is often above $50,000.
3. Security Operations Specialist
Many facilities are concerned not only with everyday security for their operations but also with emergency and post-disaster contingencies. Both the public and private sectors have established needs for plans, training, and the capability to dispatch security officers and logistical personnel when sworn police personnel are unavailable or insufficient in number. While many of the staff involved in actual physical security may hold high school diplomas, GEDs or associate’s degrees, the professionals who actively assess and identify risks, develop plans and oversee execution and recovery are career specialists with a comprehensive – often global – understanding of all the factors, agencies and regulations involved. Employers include large, private corporations concerned about chemical spills or stranded employees, for example, as well as hospitals, colleges, military intelligence or private security corporations countering global threats.
4. Public Health Emergency Preparedness Planner
Public health emergency preparedness planners are basically emergency management specialists who focus on the medical, health safety and humanitarian needs of people experiencing a disaster. Both FEMA and the CDC – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – are prime, federal-level agencies dedicated to public health emergency management, but local organizations need knowledgeable professionals, too. These individuals plan and coordinate resources and communications for effective response during both field drills and actual emergency events. They often integrate their roles and responsibilities with other local, state and federal health and medical agencies and operations centers to prevent overlap while also ensuring contingency coverage. Training, funding and budgeting all often fall under this title as well, with grant writing, reporting and tracking a significant part of the funding essential to being able to provide services. These positions also typically involve an understanding of epidemiology – the study of diseases – and biomedical hazards.
5. Disaster Recovery Compliance Specialist
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute states in its standards that “emergency management has come to regard hazard mitigation and disaster recovery as being as important as emergency preparedness and emergency response.” Adherence to the rules, regulations and laws governing emergency management – especially remediation and recovery – falls under the label of compliance. Disaster recovery compliance specialists ensure that all procedures and activities – from planning to post-disaster recovery – follow local, state and federal guidelines for staff, volunteers, responsible parties and the victims of tragedy. These careers often require long-time vigilance and a knack for understanding regulations, handling paperwork and working with both individuals and larger bodies to help entire communities rebound following disaster.
Administrators value graduates with bachelor’s degrees for their broad, multidisciplined view and ability to manage crises quickly and effectively – especially when they also possess practical, internship experience. Demand – and jobs – for degreed individuals skilled in transforming the worst of times into survivable learning experiences is greater than ever, offering increasing diversity as tools and technology continue to advance in a shrinking, vulnerable world.
Additional Resource: Top 10 Best Online Emergency Management Degree Programs