Also called: Watch Desk Officer, State Warning Point Operator
Monitors news, weather, and alerts 24/7 to spot emerging disasters and alert officials.
Watch officers sit in front of walls of screens tracking storms, earthquakes, power outages, and breaking news. When something big starts, they notify leaders and activate the emergency operations center.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in emergency management or related; dispatch or military experience valued.
Ways in: 4-year college, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Emergency Management, Meteorology, Homeland Security.
Growing about average. Approximate.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI already watches feeds and auto-sends alerts; fewer watch desks, with humans confirming and notifying leaders.
Classes: Earth science, Geography, Computer science, Government / Civics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 13-1199.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.