Plans how a hospital or health system keeps caring for patients through power failures, mass casualty events, pandemics, cyberattacks and natural disasters. BLS does not publish separate figures for business continuity planners; it counts them within business continuity planner (SOC 13-1199), whose median pay is $83,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 13-1199
- Business and Financial Operations
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator 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: Hospital Emergency Manager, Emergency Preparedness Manager, Healthcare Emergency Management Coordinator, Healthcare Coalition Coordinator, Hospital Preparedness Specialist.
Pay
How much do Business Continuity Planners make?
Every healthcare emergency preparedness coordinator 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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator 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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
Coordinators come from nursing, emergency medical services, public health, emergency management or hospital operations. A bachelor's degree in emergency management, public health or a health field is common, and larger systems often prefer a master's. Hospital incident command and National Incident Management System courses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected.
Credentials include the Certified Emergency Manager designation from the International Association of Emergency Managers and the Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional credential. The federal Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response funds regional healthcare coalitions and publishes training through its TRACIE resource center. Many people start as a hospital safety officer, an EMS supervisor or a public health preparedness planner before taking a system-level role.
- 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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator do?
Healthcare emergency preparedness coordinators make sure a hospital can keep operating when things go badly wrong. They write emergency operations plans for situations such as a surge of trauma patients, a hurricane, a water outage, an infectious disease outbreak or a ransomware attack that takes down electronic records. They also set up the hospital incident command system that tells staff who is in charge during a crisis.
Federal rules require hospitals and many other providers to keep emergency programs, train staff and run exercises, so coordinators plan drills, write the after-action reports and track fixes. They work with local emergency management, public health departments and regional healthcare coalitions to share supplies, beds and information, and during a real event they often run the hospital command center.
Day-to-day tasks
- Write and update hospital emergency operations plans
- Assess hazards and vulnerabilities for each facility
- Plan and run drills and full-scale exercises
- Train staff on hospital incident command roles
- Write after-action reports and track corrective actions
- Coordinate with public health, emergency management and healthcare coalitions
- Maintain emergency supplies, backup communications and evacuation plans
- Lead the hospital command center during real incidents
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Work is based in hospitals, health systems, long-term care organizations and public health agencies. Most days are regular office hours with meetings and drills, but real emergencies mean on-call duty, long shifts in a command center and work through nights and weekends until the event is under control.
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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ECS) built on O*NET's Business Continuity Planner profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 2 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 4 |
| 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.
- Enterprising5.5
- Conventional5.2
- Investigative4.4
- Social3.6
- 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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
O*NET related occupations
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Management
More business and financial operations careers
Median annual pay, with business continuity planners highlighted
- Financial Advisor$105,070
- Accountant$83,680
- Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator$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 |
| Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator | $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
Lists Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator appears on
Questions
Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator: frequently asked questions
How much do Business Continuity Planners make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for business continuity planners. It counts them within business continuity planner, whose median pay is $83,050 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $62,640 and $114,010, and the top 10% earn $150,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator?
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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator 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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator do?
Healthcare emergency preparedness coordinators make sure a hospital can keep operating when things go badly wrong. A typical task: write and update hospital emergency operations plans. 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 Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Coordinator?
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.