Business Continuity Planners

SOC code 13-1199 · O*NET-SOC 13-1199.04 · Considerable preparation needed · Business and finance

Bright Outlook — O*NET expects numerous job openings for this occupation

Business continuity planners prepare organisations for disruption — writing and testing the plans that keep operations running through outages, disasters and crises. Most arrive from operations, IT or risk roles, and the field's certifications provide the common framework.

Business Continuity Planners pay

U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number

Median pay

$83,050

a year

Hourly

$39.93

per hour

10th$47,880Median$83,05090th$150,010

The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.

Average pay

$93,970

$45.18 per hour

Middle 50%

$62,640 – $114,010

25th to 75th percentile

Full spread

$47,880 – $150,010

10th to 90th percentile

People employed

1,087,090

nationwide

National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.

These pay and employment figures are for the broader BLS group “Business Operations Specialists, All Other”, not this job alone.

10th percentile: $47,880; $23.02/hr
25th percentile: $62,640; $30.12/hr
Median percentile: $83,050; $39.93/hr
75th percentile: $114,010; $54.81/hr
90th percentile: $150,010; $72.12/hr

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.

The tasks that matter most day to day

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.
Conduct or oversee collection of corporate intelligence to avoid fraud, financial crime, cyber attack, terrorism, and infrastructure failure.
Test documented disaster recovery strategies and plans.
Develop disaster recovery plans for physical locations with critical assets, such as data centers.
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.
Maintain and update organization information technology applications and network systems blueprints.
Review existing disaster recovery, crisis management, or business continuity plans.

How to become a business continuity planner

Most people in this role hold bachelor's degree — 48% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.

Preparation level: zone 4 — Considerable preparation needed

Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

See all zone 4 occupations →

Education reported by people doing this job

Bachelor's Degree48%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate17%
Master's Degree13%
Some College Courses9%

Common questions

How much does a business continuity planner earn?

The national median is $83,050 a year. The full range runs from $47,880 at the 10th percentile to $150,010 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.

Can you become a business continuity planner without a degree?

Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 4, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.

Skills and knowledge you need

Core skills

Active Listening4.1/5
Critical Thinking4.1/5
Reading Comprehension4.0/5
Writing4.0/5
Speaking4.0/5
Active Learning4.0/5

Knowledge areas

English Language4.1/5
Public Safety and Security3.7/5
Administration and Management3.5/5
Customer and Personal Service3.4/5
Computers and Electronics3.4/5
Education and Training3.3/5
Communications and Media3.1/5
Administrative3.0/5

Transferable strengths: Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation.