Emergency management continues to be one of the faster-growing careers in the United States, driven largely by reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the rapid growth of the relatively new Department of Homeland Security. The great thing about this field is that it typically allows candidates to enter at any level of the profession, depending on the degree they have obtained from a community college or university. Students with a master’s degree are often considered for entry-level management positions and other high-ranking positions that pay far more than other areas of the field. For this reason, they’re usually treated to some of the best salaries within emergency management in the United States.
A Wide Range of Salaries for Emergency Management Careers
Emergency management in general spans a significant salary range, with some workers barely earning $29,000 per year while others approach six-figure salaries. For those with a master’s degree in the field, the average salary is likely to fall at the high end of the spectrum. In fact, the top 10 percent of all emergency management earners take home about $90,000 per year according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Typically, that top 10 percent is reserved for professionals with graduate degrees, extensive experience in the field, and a top-ranking position within private companies or government agencies.
In addition to differentiating salaries based on the level of a candidate’s educational attainment, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics does break down salaries based on employment in either the public or private sectors. The results are pretty predictable, but still worth mentioning.
Lower Salaries are Typically Associated with Public Sector Work
The largest employer of emergency management specialists, especially those with master’s degrees, is the public sector. Local, state, and federal government agencies require specialists who can develop, coordinate, and deploy efforts in the event of a natural disaster, national security threat, or another significant crisis that affects the lives of many people in a concentrated area. For state and local governments, this creates a significant number of high-level management openings that pay about $53,000 a year on average. Though it’s certainly not the highest salary, it’s significantly higher than the public sector wage for workers with bachelor’s or associate’s degrees in the same field.
Private Sector Wages Increase, But Workforce is Smaller
The private sector’s need for emergency management specialists is real, but it’s not nearly as concentrated as the government’s own need. For this reason, higher-paying private sector positions are a bit harder to come by even for those applicants with a graduate degree in a related field. For those who do manage to make it through interviews and land a position with a private company, the top 10 percent of earners will typically take home between $70,000 and $90,000 per year. Most of these positions are with utility companies, waste treatment and management companies, and enterprises working on scientific or technological research.
A Master’s Degree Raises the Sakes, and the Compensation
The best way to earn a high wage within emergency management is to opt for a master’s degree in the field. With a more extensive occupation, and a bit more experience in the field, workers will be treated to the top 10 percent of all emergency management salaries.