How To Become A Risk Management Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a risk management specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A risk management specialist identifies potential risks for a company or organization. They develop strategies to mitigate risks and create contingency plans in case of emergencies. They analyze data, review contracts, and work with others to ensure compliance with regulations and internal policies. Risk management specialists also educate employees on potential risks and prevention. Their primary goal aims to protect the company from financial loss, reputational damage, and negative impacts.

ScoreRisk Management SpecialistUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $69,819

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.4

Growth rate 17%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.34%

Asian 10.00%

Black or African American 8.57%

Hispanic or Latino 9.58%

Unknown 3.87%

White 67.65%

Gender

female 56.41%

male 43.59%

Age - 43

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 - 43

Stress level

6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a risk management specialist?

Pros

High demand and job security
Opportunity for advancement
Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology
Continuous learning and professional development
Potential for international travel

Cons

Tendency for the work to be repetitive or monotonous at times
Difficult to quantify the value of risk management for some stakeholders
Possibility of encountering ethical dilemmas or conflicts of interest
Lack of creative freedom or autonomy in decision-making
Limited opportunities for remote work or flexible schedules

Key steps to become a risk management specialist

Explore risk management specialist education requirements

Most common risk management specialist degrees

Bachelor's

63.9 %

Associate

13.9 %

Master's

12.9 %

Start to develop specific risk management specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Risk Assessments	9.01%
PowerPoint	8.43%
Patient Safety	6.87%
Enterprise Risk Management	5.09%
Cash Management	4.46%

Complete relevant risk management specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New risk management specialists 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 a risk management specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real risk management specialist resumes.

Research risk management specialist duties and responsibilities

Lead SOX project planning and implementation, successfully implement the corporate governance policies and internal control framework.
Handle HIPAA compliant requests for medical records.
Provide SAS programming assistance to non-technical members of the team.
Programme with SAS to monitor hedging program and recommend hedging strategy.

Prepare your risk management specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your risk management specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a risk management specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable risk management specialist resume templates

Build a professional risk management specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your risk management specialist resume.