How to hire a business continuity planner

How to hire a business continuity planner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step business continuity planner hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a business continuity planner job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new business continuity planner
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the business continuity planner you need to hire. Certain business continuity planner roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A business continuity planner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, business continuity planners from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of business continuity planners and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Business Continuity Planner	Description	Hourly rate
   Business Continuity Planner		$25-55
   Disaster Recovery Analyst	A disaster recovery analyst supports a company's disaster recovery team in planning and implementing continuity and recovery plans to protect data and networks from security breaches or other kinds of disasters. They primarily focus on conducting research and analyses, performing audits and risk assessments, gathering and analyzing data from different departments, and developing training and learning materials for staff... Show more	$20-42
   Risk Assessment Analyst	A risk assessment analyst conducts extensive assessments to identify potential operational risks and recommend strategies to prevent them, thereby avoiding financial losses and optimizing an organization's workflow. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it usually includes coordinating with different departments to gather and analyze data, suggesting budgets and guidelines, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of current operations, and implementing solutions against problem areas, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.	$25-47

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Business Impact Analysis
   • Impact Analysis
   • Crisis Management
   • Business Continuity Planning
   • Coop
   • Business Continuity
   • Plan Development
   • Disaster Recovery Procedures
   • Risk Assessments
   • Emergency Response
   • NGA
   • FEMA
   • Continuity
   • BCM

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead highly productive DR team of disparate groups of professionals providing recovery administration, planning and operational functions.
   • Lead highly productive DR team of disparate groups of professionals providing recovery administration, planning and operational functions.
   • Provide documentation as required for all receiving facilities in accordance with current HIPPA requirements.

   More business continuity planner duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the business continuity planner job description is a good way to get more applicants. A business continuity planner salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a business continuity planner in Utah may be lower than in Maine, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level business continuity planner. Additionally, a business continuity planner with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average business continuity planner salary

   $78,744yearly

   $37.86 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level business continuity planner salary

   $53,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average business continuity planner salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$86,341	$42
   2	New York	$84,645	$41
   3	California	$84,351	$41
   4	Texas	$81,980	$39
   5	Ohio	$80,304	$39
   6	Tennessee	$79,321	$38
   7	District of Columbia	$79,232	$38
   8	Pennsylvania	$78,301	$38
   9	Virginia	$76,979	$37
   10	Massachusetts	$75,607	$36
   11	Oregon	$74,935	$36
   12	North Carolina	$70,636	$34
   13	Minnesota	$69,931	$34
   14	Missouri	$63,372	$30
   15	Florida	$59,588	$29

   Average business continuity planner salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$114,489	$55.04	76
   2	Parsons	$97,777	$47.01	3
   3	CareOregon	$93,581	$44.99
   4	Country-Wide Insurance	$91,889	$44.18
   5	McKesson	$91,754	$44.11	9
   6	Fifth Third Bank	$87,037	$41.84	8
   7	*n/a*	$83,989	$40.38	1
   8	Freddie Mac	$83,593	$40.19
   9	HCL Technologies	$82,438	$39.63
   10	SC&A	$80,495	$38.70	1
   11	Mountain Ahec	$77,432	$37.23
   12	Navy Federal Credit Union	$76,630	$36.84	3
   13	Information Management Group	$74,162	$35.65
   14	CACI International	$71,472	$34.36	34

4. Writing a business continuity planner job description

   A good business continuity planner job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a business continuity planner job description:

   Business continuity planner job description example

   At U.S. Bank, we're passionate about helping customers and the communities where we live and work. The fifth-largest bank in the United States, we're one of the country's most respected, innovative and successful financial institutions. U.S. Bank is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse workforce. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, among other factors.
   Job Description
   
   Partners with their assigned Line of Business, other Risk/Compliance/Audit (RCA) professionals, and RCA Managers to, depending on their function, create, implement, maintain, review or oversee an effective risk management framework. Participates in projects and/or activities that ensure compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Identifies gaps and inform solutions that minimize losses resulting from inadequate internal processes, systems or human errors. Identifies, responds and/or escalates risks as appropriate. Serves as a functional liaison between the Line of Business and the Lines of Defense. Also responsible for maintaining the Business Continuity Database and leveraging Data Management solutions to streamline processes.
   
   Basic Qualifications
   
   * Bachelor's degree, or equivalent work experience
   * Three to five years of applicable experience
   
   Preferred Skills/Experience
   
   * Thorough knowledge of applicable laws, regulations, financial services, and regulatory trends that impact their assigned line of business
   * Thorough understanding of the business line's operations, products/services, systems, and associated risks/controls
   * Thorough knowledge of Risk/Compliance/Audit competencies
   * Strong process facilitation, project management, and analytical skills
   * Must possess business acumen and credibility to help business line(s) proactively identify and address changing workforce needs
   * Excellent presentation, interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
   * Proficient computer navigation skills using a variety of software packages, including Microsoft Office applications and word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations
   * Emergency Management background a plus
   * Proven Data Management skills needed
   
   If there's anything we can do to accommodate a disability during any portion of the application or hiring process, please refer to our disability accommodations for applicants.
   
   Benefits:
   
   Take care of yourself and your family with U.S. Bank employee benefits. We know that healthy employees are happy employees, and we believe that work/life balance should be easy to achieve. That's why we share the cost of benefits and offer a variety of programs, resources and support you need to bring your full self to work and stay present and committed to the people who matter most - your family.
   
   Learn all about U.S. Bank employee benefits, including tuition reimbursement, retirement plans and more, by visiting careers.usbank.com.
   
   EEO is the Law
   
   Applicants can learn more about the company's status as an equal opportunity employer by viewing the federal EEO is the Law poster.
   
   E-Verify
   
   U.S. Bank participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security E-Verify program in all facilities located in the United States and certain U.S. territories. The E-Verify program is an Internet-based employment eligibility verification system operated by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Learn more about the E-Verify program.
   
   Salary range reflected is an estimate of base pay and is for the primary location. Base pay range may vary if an offer is made for work in a different location. Pay Range: $73,865.00 - $86,900.00 - $95,590.00
   
   Due to legal requirements, U.S. Bank requires that the successful candidate hired for some positions be fully-vaccinated for COVID-19, absent being granted an accommodation due to a medical condition, pregnancy, or sincerely held religious belief or other legally required exemption. For these positions, as part of the conditional offer of employment, the successful candidate will be asked to provide proof of vaccination or approval for an accommodation or exemption upon hire.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find business continuity planners for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your business continuity planner job on Zippia to find and recruit business continuity planner candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit business continuity planners, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new business continuity planner

   Once you've selected the best business continuity planner candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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