June 03, 2009, 10:44 AM — A handful of universities have degree programs in business continuity management. It’s a highly focused specialty, but there’s value there and it’s a degree that’s highly marketable (unlike my own lit degree). Of course, it takes a special kind of person to seek out a career in which one must constantly be anticipating disaster and planning for the worst. But it’s definitely a career worth consideration—even in today’s economy, business continuity professionals continue to be in demand.
According to BC Management’s 8th annual business continuity compensation report, average compensation for a business continuity officer starts out at about $85,976 for a person with one to three years experience. And what’s more relevant is that 74 percent of respondents have a certification (beyond the college degree), and many have more than one. The survey showed clearly that compensation goes up with certification, with the survey showing an average increase in compensation of over $8,000 a year for certified BC staff. There are of course, quite a wide variety of certifications that are relevant to this field. In addition to straight-out business continuity certifications, such as those available through the Business Continuity Institute, other relevant certifications would be in emergency management, risk management, and audit; as well as security certifications such as the CISSP.
The specific degree in business continuity is still a specialty, and only 2.3 percent of respondents have it—but that’s up from just one percent four years ago, and so there’s a definite trend forming as demand for this specialty continues to increase.
