Public safety personnel can mitigate career stagnation by pursuing online master's in emergency management degrees that prepare for upper-level leadership in times of trouble. Emergency management is among the newest, 21st-century master's majors focused on allaying threats to fearful citizens in a dangerous post-9/11 climate. Our World in Data figured there were 13,488 terrorist attacks that caused 34,676 deaths in 2016 alone. Yet homeland security isn't the only concern with a warming Mother Earth cooking up natural disasters. The Borgen Project reported that there's been an 80 percent uptick in climate-related events that has cost $1.2 trillion and impacted 217 million annually since 1990. The Trump Administration has also named the opioid crisis that claims 115 American lives daily according to the National Institutes of Health a "national emergency." Those courageously called to the front lines to advocate for human well-being should consider an emergency management master's online.
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Top 10 Most Affordable Master's in Emergency Management Online
Which Jobs Do Master's in Emergency Management Online Programs Open?
Investing 12 to 48 months on online master's in emergency management curricula qualifies individuals for upper-level administrative authority in all four EMI stages: preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation. Save for PhD-preferred careers in university teaching and bioterrorism research, master's graduates can find rewarding work in various disciplines like hazardous material safety, epidemic control, cyber security, financial loss prevention, and criminal justice. Many states offer credentials, such as the Kansas Certified Emergency Manager (KCEM) title, for applicants with 2+ years of experience who pass an online course and exam. Industry certifications, including the CompTIA Security+ designation with a 90-minute, $320 exam, can also help specialize. The IAEM even has a global program where 1,375 professionals meeting the 100+ training hours became Certified Emergency Managers (CEM). Here are five advantageous careers online emergency management master's are appreciated.
Emergency Management Specialist- Included in the U.S. News & World Report's "50 Best Jobs," emergency management specialists are the behind-the-scenes brains who synchronize effective responses to high-stress events. An online master's in emergency management would prepare for modifying crisis procedures, evacuating at-risk citizens, dispatching first aid, cleaning up debris, budgeting government money, and planning media outreach.
Homeland Security Agent- Since its 2001 founding, DHS has grown a $40.6 billion annual budget to employ 240,000 officials, including some cheap emergency management master's alumni, to thwart the 176 terrorist plots assessed by RAND Corporation. Homeland security agents analyze government intelligence, address assumed risks, harden federal infrastructure, outline emergency responses, investigate incidents, and arrest perpetrators.
Risk Management Director- Recognized for America's #2 best job on CNN Money with median pay of $131,000, risk management directors identify vulnerabilities that organizations face to reduce losses from natural or man-made disasters. Getting a master's in emergency management online may help conduct risk assessments, review suspicious activity, present compliant protocol changes, reduce liabilities, procure insurance, and lead cleanups.
Business Continuity Planner-The Gazette warns that nearly four in 10 small businesses shut down after danger strikes, so emergency management master's online training has good private-sector options. Business continuity planners conduct impact analyses, create disaster recovery strategies, interpret regulation codes, set up emergency communication networks, execute mock-incident exercises, tweak risk response plans, and inform personnel.
Incident Response Manager- Online emergency management master's graduates who stay calm during crises could coordinate teams that react expediently to hazards from tornadoes to data breaches. The National Emergency Number Association estimates 240 million 9-1-1 calls yearly, so incident response managers assess threats, launch defensive acts, mitigate security risks, initiate corrective actions, and find future precautions.
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What are Salary Expectations After Emergency Management Master's Online Study?
Cheap emergency master's degrees can save from flooding debt by generating solid ROI with wages that surpass the mean graduate salary jump of $28,000 annually on Quartz. It's expected on PayScale that M.S. holders in emergency management have yearly paychecks of $51,029 to $88,067. The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed median pay of $70,500, or $33.89 per hour, for the 10,100 emergency management directors in America. Criminal investigators snag mean profits of $81,490. Homeland security analysts see average earnings of $79,200. Specializing in cyber security provides median income of $92,600. Risk management analysts reap generous compensation of $91,910. On Salary.com, emergency services directors posted a median wage of $135,826. Other notably high averages were $89,234 for security managers, $103,341 for sheriffs, $101,050 for compliance directors, $124,181 for disaster recovery administrators, and $88,520 for business continuity managers.
How are Hiring Outlooks for Online Emergency Management Master's Graduates?
Earning an emergency management online master's isn't a risky chance since Government Technology deemed it a "growth industry" in January 2017. From the 175-mph Hurricane Maria to the 273,400-acre Thomas wildfire, the last year has proved the need for disaster response. The Department of Labor stated that hiring in emergency management will rise by 8 percent for 10,900 total jobs by 2026. Need for EMTs is spiking by 15 percent with 37,400 openings. Information security is perhaps the fastest-growing niche projecting 28 percent hikes. Other positive 10-year job outlooks are 7 percent for detectives, 10 percent for fire inspectors, 6 percent for private security guards, and 9 percent for safety engineers. Insurance Journal ranked New York, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Charleston, and Atlantic City as the most vulnerable cities for worsening climate change. Putting an online master's in emergency management atop one's resume improves hirability where protective service jobs abound.
Sources:
Our World in DataThe Borgen ProjectNational Institutes of HealthNational Center for Education Statistics' College NavigatorFEMA
