The following article discusses the career path of Disaster Recovery Manager. Learn about how to become one, education requirements, job duties, traits and qualities, national salary outlook as well as top national employers of Disaster Recovery Managers.
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Job Duties
Disaster recovery managers put plans and procedures in place to ensure that an emergency such, as a natural disaster, can be properly responded to. Their work is preparatory in nature, but they also help to coordinate actions when a disaster does occur. Hence, they have close ties with nonprofit agencies, elected officials, public safety officials, and the government.
Practically, this means that they conduct risk assessments to determine the likelihood of a disaster occurring. They calculate the potential damage and put measures in place to minimize this. To achieve this, they meet with various public and private entities to put disaster response plans in place. They monitor the available resources and how these should be used and allocated, and train emergency responders.
If a disaster does occur, they ensure that all resources and equipment are utilized properly. They then conduct damage assessments to find out the extent of the emergency. They also ensure health care facilities are adequate.
Other job duties of a disaster recovery manager are:
- To communicate and assess the requirements following disasters for the public and professional environment
- To meet with other entities involved in disaster relief and ensure the lines of communication between them are open
- To prioritize goals and develop business continuity plans
Where We Work
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 10,100 emergency management directors in 2016. The largest employers of these professionals were:
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals: 52%
- State government, excluding education and hospitals: 12%
- Hospitals; state, local, and private: 8%
- Professional, scientific, and technical services: 6%
- Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private: 5%
How to Become
Typically, a disaster recovery manager will need to hold a bachelor’s degree at least. They are also expected to have several year’s experience dealing with emergency responses, public administration, and/or disaster planning.
Education Requirements
Disaster recovery managers usually have a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business, finance, accounting, public health, or emergency management. In the private sector, they may have a degree in information technology, such as information systems administration or computer science.
Work experience is incredibly important, and most disaster recovery managers have worked in law enforcement, the military, emergency management, or fire safety for several years. This ensures they have proven experience in making difficult decisions and that they understand the available resources and how those can best be deployed.
In some states, a disaster recovery manager has to become certified, although they do so on the job. Voluntary certification options also exist, which demonstrate a commitment to excellence. These include:
- Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), offered by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). This certification is valid for five years, after which it must be renewed.
- Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), which is offered by the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI), which is valid for two years
Traits & Qualities
The most effective disaster recovery managers have the following traits to some degree or other:
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
- Strong critical thinking skills
- Excellent decision making skills
- Great interpersonal skills
- Emphatic
- Inspirational leadership
Minimum Education
Bachelor’s Degree
The national average salary estimate for Disaster Recovery Manager was $94,956. This number is estimated from over 158,124 employees, users past and present job advertisements from Indeed.com. This equates to an hourly salary of $49.46 and monthly of $7,913.
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$27,000
$204,000
The following section lists Disaster Recovery Manager salaries in each state around the country. The figures are based on the total number of job postings through Indeed.com. For example, Hawaii had the largest quoted salary of $138,331 while North Carolina had the smallest quoted salary of $17,191.
According to Indeed.com, the following states had employers looking to hire a Disaster Recovery Manager. The quoted salary figure represents the average salary from all job postings by this employer.
| Employer Name | Location | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| R3cruitAssist, Inc. | New York | $138,760 |
| Department of Homeland Security | Hawaii | $138,331 |
| BeecherMadden | Florida | $133,480 |
| NYC Housing Authority | New York | $130,811 |
| Addison IT | Texas | $125,000 |
| CyberCoders | Minnesota | $124,760 |
| Robert Half Technology | California | $122,271 |
| TEKsystems | Georgia | $118,586 |
| Sales Talent | California | $114,034 |
| Request Technology | Illinois | $111,227 |
| Accounting Career Network | Texas | $102,900 |
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| Career Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Director of Finance | $99,996 |
| Finance Director | $99,963 |
| Director of Security | $99,822 |
| Operations Officer | $96,045 |
| Director of Nursing | $95,821 |
| Network Manager | $94,442 |
| Treasury Manager | $94,000 |
| Data Manager | $93,937 |
| Transportation Manager | $93,639 |
| Director of Human Resources | $93,347 |
