Before students spend thousands of dollars on a degree, they should research what their proposed emergency management salary will be following graduation. The emerging field of emergency management is fairly new but growing at a fast pace. Within the last decade alone, more than 100 different universities have started offering accredited Emergency Management programs and special FEMA-funded scholarships.
Completing these Emergency Management programs accredited by worldwide organizations like the International Association of Emergency Managers does come at a cost. Tuition can range from just a few thousand dollars per year to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Students also have to assess the opportunity cost of attending school to calculate how much salary they are missing out on while attending school. Here's how much emergency managers who graduate from post-secondary programs can expect to make:
Ranking: Top 30 Best Master's in Emergency Management Degrees Online
What is the Job Outlook in Emergency Management?
Preparing for emergencies and looking for ways to mitigate loss or minimize risk is a focus of the government and also of organizations. Since this has been a huge focus for over a decade, more and more jobs within the field of emergency management are popping up around the nation. Currently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there will be 8% growth reporting in the field by 2026. This is about 1% faster than occupations as a whole.
Average Salaries Reported in Emergency Management
There are never guarantees that a graduate will find a job quickly after college. One promising way to ensure that graduates can find work quickly is for them to pursue a degree in a field where the demand is high. It's also encouraged for students to investigate how much the average emergency manager makes.
According to the BLS, after summing up all of the emergency management salary reports, the average professional with a director title will earn $72,600, with the lowest paid in the occupation earning $38,270 and the highest paid professionals earning $141,620. These professionals work in technical service settings, colleges, government agencies, and hospitals, each of which has a different average pay.
Factors That Affect Average Salaries
Not every state has endless opportunities for emergency management professionals. In fact, some states have a much lower average salary in others because there is not a high employment level or demand for qualified managers. This is why the most prepared students will research all of the factors that can affect salary before graduating.
Many different factors have direct and indirect effects on wages. From an applicants education and experience to the growth reported in the field due to economic changes. many of the factors are out of the average person's control. Location, setting, and industry are all things that a graduate can choose that will push salaries up or down. Currently, the following areas pay the highest in the field according to Occupational Employment Statistics:
- California
- Washington DC
- New York
- Maryland
- Washington
Future directors will need a minimum of a bachelor's degree and several years of experience in emergency response or a law enforcement field before they will qualify for a higher-paying position. Anyone who wants to play a role in keeping the public safe show review the various emergency management salary profiles and choose which industry they would like to work in.