Business Continuity Planners earn a median of $83,050 per year ($39.93/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.9% through 2035, with about 98,700 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1199
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Business Continuity Planner in four numbers
- Median pay
- $83,050a year, or $39.93/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $48KTop 10% $150K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.9%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.9%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.9% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 98,7001,157,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 20251.2M
- Projected 20351.2M
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 1.2M Projected 2035 1.2M - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school4.4%
- Certificate4.4%
- Some college8.7%
- Bachelor's47.8%
- Post-bacc certificate17.4%
- Master's13%
Highest education held by business continuity planners Segment Value High school 4.4% Certificate 4.4% Some college 8.7% Bachelor's 47.8% Post-bacc certificate 17.4% Master's 13%
Also advertised as: Business Continuity Administrator (Business Continuity Admin), Business Continuity Analyst, Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Consultant, Business Continuity Consultant, Business Continuity Coordinator, Business Continuity Professional.
Pay
How much do Business Continuity Planners make?
Every business continuity planner in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$83,050
Middle half earn $62,640 to $114,010
- 10th
- $47,880
- 25th
- $62,640
- 75th
- $114,010
- 90th
- $150,010
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $47,880 |
| 25th | $62,640 |
| Median | $83,050 |
| 75th | $114,010 |
| 90th | $150,010 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $83,050
- Median hourly wage
- $39.93/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $93,970
- People employed
- 1,087,090
Versus all US occupations
At $83,050, Business Continuity Planners earn 63% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $32,070 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 3% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $150,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $47,880, a gap of 3.1×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 63% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($108,160), but once local prices are taken into account Alabama leads at $112,854 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Business Continuity Planners the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $108,160 | $98,416 | 37,790 |
| 2Maryland | $101,500 | $96,704 | 39,820 |
| 3Washington | $100,360 | $93,783 | 51,650 |
| 4Alabama | $100,240 | $112,854 | 6,990 |
| 5Delaware | $95,040 | $95,223 | 1,600 |
| 6Alaska | $94,740 | $92,557 | 2,020 |
| 7Oklahoma | $93,640 | $106,599 | 5,700 |
| 8Massachusetts | $93,270 | $88,193 | 17,910 |
| 9Hawaii | $92,620 | $84,238 | 4,030 |
| 10Colorado | $92,520 | $89,780 | 45,670 |
Job outlook
Is Business Continuity Planner a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.9% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Business Continuity Planners | +3.9% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Business Continuity Planners to change 3.9% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 44,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 98,700 openings are projected each year, 8.5% of the 1,157,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Business Continuity Planner
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as business continuity planners.
- Bachelor's Degree47.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate17.4%
- Master's Degree13%
- Some College Courses8.7%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)4.4%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 47.8% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 17.4% |
| Master's Degree | 13% |
| Some College Courses | 8.7% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 4.4% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Business Continuity Planner do?
Develop, maintain, or implement business continuity and disaster recovery strategies and solutions, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, strategy selection, and documentation of business continuity and disaster recovery procedures. Plan, conduct, and debrief regular mock-disaster exercises to test the adequacy of existing plans and strategies, updating procedures and plans regularly. Act as a coordinator for continuity efforts after a disruption event.
Day-to-day tasks
- Develop emergency management plans for recovery decision making and communications, continuity of critical departmental processes, or temporary shut-down of non-critical departments to ensure continuity of operation and governance.
- Establish, maintain, or test call trees to ensure appropriate communication during disaster.
- Identify opportunities for strategic improvement or mitigation of business interruption and other risks caused by business, regulatory, or industry-specific change initiatives.
- Review existing disaster recovery, crisis management, or business continuity plans.
- Analyze impact on, and risk to, essential business functions or information systems to identify acceptable recovery time periods and resource requirements.
- Write reports to summarize testing activities, including descriptions of goals, planning, scheduling, execution, results, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Create or administer training and awareness presentations or materials.
- Create scenarios to reestablish operations from various types of business disruptions.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Active Learning4.0
- Monitoring3.6
- Learning Strategies3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Writing | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 4.0 |
| Active Learning | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving4.1
- Judgment and Decision Making4.1
- Systems Analysis4.0
- Systems Evaluation4.0
- Coordination3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.4
- Instructing3.3
- Time Management3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 4.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 4.0 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Backup or archival software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Business Continuity Planner?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Business Continuity Planner |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around leading, persuading, selling and making decisions, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Enterprising5.2
- Conventional5.1
- Investigative4.4
- Social3.1
- Realistic2.0
- Artistic1.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Business Continuity Planner
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with business continuity planners highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Business Continuity Planner$83,050
- Insurance Underwriter$81,370
- Coroner$80,730
- Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator$78,000
- Loan Officer$76,690
- Human Resources Specialist$75,940
- Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate$67,960
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Financial Advisor | $105,070 |
| Accountant | $83,680 |
| Business Continuity Planner | $83,050 |
| Insurance Underwriter | $81,370 |
| Coroner | $80,730 |
| Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator | $78,000 |
| Loan Officer | $76,690 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $75,940 |
| Appraiser and Assessor of Real Estate | $67,960 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within business continuity planner
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Business Continuity Planner appears on
Questions
Business Continuity Planner: frequently asked questions
How much do Business Continuity Planners make?
Business Continuity Planners earn a median of $83,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 63% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $39.93/hr. The middle half earn between $62,640 and $114,010. The top 10% earn $150,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Business Continuity Planner?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Business Continuity Planners, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.8% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Business Continuity Planner a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.9% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 98,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Business Continuity Planner do?
Develop, maintain, or implement business continuity and disaster recovery strategies and solutions, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, strategy selection, and documentation of business continuity and disaster recovery procedures. A core O*NET task: develop emergency management plans for recovery decision making and communications, continuity of critical departmental processes, or temporary shut-down of non-critical departments to ensure continuity of operation and governance. Employers most often ask for Content workflow software, Data base management system software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Business Continuity Planners the most?
The highest state medians for Business Continuity Planners are District of Columbia ($108,160), Maryland ($101,500), Washington ($100,360) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Alabama moves to the top at $112,854.
What personality type suits a Business Continuity Planner?
O*NET scores Business Continuity Planners highest on the Enterprising, Conventional and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes leading, persuading, selling and making decisions with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.