How To Become An Emergency Planner: What It Is and Career Path

What is an emergency planner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Laura Siebeneck Ph.D.

Working as an emergency planner is probably one of the most important and rewarding careers in the United States and around the world. It is a critical profession since disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity. This role is ever-changing because hazards and vulnerabilities are changing over time, and methods to deal with them are improving.

In general, emergency planners prepare plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters and other emergencies. They are accountable for managing the response during and after emergencies. They typically coordinate with public safety officials, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies.

Since this position holds so much responsibility, it is important for applicants to have years of working experience in law enforcement, fire safety, or an emergency management field. They usually need a bachelor's degree in emergency response, disaster planning, or any other related field. Most emergency planners have backgrounds in public administration, accounting, and public health, and some work in the private sector in the area of business management.

What general advice would you give to an emergency planner?

Laura Siebeneck Ph.D.

Professor and Chair, University of North Texas

Acquiring a solid academic foundation in emergency management and developing strong analytical, written, communication, and problem-solving skills is important for success in this field. And more and more, I am noticing that employers are looking for individuals that work well in a team-setting and possess project management skills. The hazards and disasters emergency managers encounter are becoming increasingly complex and being able to collaborate and think creatively to solve these problems is important.

ScoreEmergency PlannerUS Average

Salary

4.8

Avg. Salary $61,090

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.1

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.50%

Asian 4.22%

Black or African American 9.47%

Hispanic or Latino 11.27%

Unknown 4.99%

White 68.55%

Gender

female 36.84%

male 63.16%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

9.1

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an emergency planner

Explore emergency planner education requirements

Most common emergency planner degrees

Bachelor's

64.0 %

Master's

20.4 %

Associate

12.0 %

Start to develop specific emergency planner skills

Skills	Percentages
Emergency Preparedness	12.17%
Public Health	10.04%
Public Safety	8.37%
Incident Command System	5.18%
Emergency Response	4.81%

Complete relevant emergency planner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New emergency planners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an emergency planner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real emergency planner resumes.

Research emergency planner duties and responsibilities

Identify facilities and personnel resources within the state to achieve rapid effective dispensing of SNS.
Participate in numerous training courses provide by FEMA and state agencies.
Assist in developing detail checklists for the emergency support functions in the EOC.
Act as applicant liaison by notifying FEMA of cost overrun/under runs, final inspection requests, appeals, etc.

Apply for emergency planner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an emergency planner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do emergency planners rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Emergency planner reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

50 years of challenging, rewarding and evolving experiences with every kind of threat that one could imagine. Made great friends and lasting relationships. Can see and reflect upon real change and influence on the practice area.

Cons

Sometimes you do not get top cover. Political leadership may not be interested in engaging in preparedness and only wants to act once an incident becomes high profile. And, if an operation goes south, you may find yourself standing alone to face criticism resulting from poor political decisions.