Emergency Management Schools

Which types of jobs are available for those interested in emergency management?

Emergency management experts are an essential component of any disaster response. From 9/11 to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami to other natural or man-made disasters anywhere, professionals trained in emergency management are able to spring to action, organizing every aspect of the crisis response.

Most days in emergency management jobs are relatively stress-free. Emergencies don't follow a set schedule, and you might spend most of your time attending or conducting training, working in an office, or spearheading preparedness plans with local government or media. When an emergency strikes, however, your training comes into play and the stress level cranks up. From media involvement to medical response teams to funding allocation, each decision an emergency manager makes can have repercussions on the environment, not to mention the lives or livelihood of affected individuals.

Emergency management workers are highly valued for their ability to remain controlled under pressure. Creating a disaster response plan requires organization and critical thinking, while carrying that plan out under stress requires strength, communication and bravery. A skilled emergency management professional can direct the funds and resources that save lives.

Along with this high potential for reward comes the high stress of most emergency management jobs. Times of disaster and crisis will hopefully be rare, but when they occur, they can cause personal and professional stress in any emergency management worker's life. It's important to understand the difficulty of the profession before pursuing emergency management degrees and training.

Formal training required to work in a career related to emergency management

A bachelor's degree is required for most emergency management careers, and an MBA may serve as an additional benefit for certain high-ranking positions. Beyond specific emergency management training and homeland security degrees, the following degree concentrations may be considered most applicable as emergency management degree programs:

1. Public safety management
2. Security management
3. Computer security
4. Health care emergency management
5. Public policy with a concentration in disaster policy

A range of fields can be pursued as degrees in emergency management. Many workers additionally combine training with experience in the field to further their career prospects. For example, if you wanted to work on the technical side of a disaster, you could combine a degree in computer security with work experience working in the information technology division of a local police department.

The typical career path of someone interested in emergency management

Emergency management jobs are often the culmination of a career of public service, advanced training and proven leadership. Workers in the career may come from a strong background in police work, health care, information technology or a related field. A lifetime of training and skill backs up a quality emergency manager.

As of October 2010, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had 2,500 emergency management personnel workers with an additional disaster standby force of over 4,200. Degrees in emergency management and related fields offer a chance to work in a challenging federal job, or across a range of disciplines at the state, local or private business level.

Job outlook and salary information for those interested in emergency management

Emergency management careers are projected to grow much faster than average during the 2008-2018 decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. An increased interest in disaster preparedness could be part of the reason behind the job growth.

The BLS notes that 13,060 workers were employed as emergency management specialists in the U.S. in 2009. That year, workers in the specialized emergency management jobs earned mean annual wages of $56,900, or $27.36 an hour. Local government was the largest employer, with 6,870 workers earning $52,700. The highest-paid emergency management specialists in the country worked in oil and gas extraction and earned six-figure salaries, taking home $100,530 in 2009. That same year, California was the top-paying state for emergency management specialists in 2009, with the state's 840 workers earning mean annual wages of $78,650.

Emergency management careers offer a chance to put your organization, communication and crisis-response tools to the test in real-life situations where lives may hang in the balance. Explore degrees in emergency management and take your first step towards a unique career that can make a real difference.