Careers That Matter
Homeland Security Careers
According to Barron’s Guide to Homeland Security Careers, security-related opportunities are available with the following federal agencies:
- Federal Aviation Administration (Federal Air Marshals): 500+
- Transportation Security Administration (TSA): 20,000+
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): 1,000+
- U.S. Border Patrol, including pilots: 3,000+
- U.S. Customs, including pilots: 1,000+
Homeland Security Graduates
Graduates with a degree in Homeland Security could potentially work for any of the nine divisions of the federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS). According to USA Jobs, the official job website of the federal government, there were nearly 400 DHS job openings in 2005. Some examples of DHS positions (where the average starting salary is estimated to be $40,000) include:
- Disaster Recovery and Operations Specialist
- Immigration Information Analyst
- Infrastructure Analyst
- Management and Program Analyst
- Operations Research Analyst
- Program Specialist (Citizen Corps)
- Search and Rescue Controller
- Security Specialist
- Technological Hazards Program Specialist
- Transportation Security Specialist
- Vessel Documentation Assistant
In addition, as a result of the inadequate response efforts demonstrated during recent natural disasters, it is expected that there will be an increased need for individuals with an emergency planning and management background.
More Homeland Security Information
The following links offer valuable general knowledge about careers in the homeland security field:
- Careers in the Department of Homeland Security (at the Department's website)
- Careers in Homeland Security - a feature publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (PDF)
- Career Voyages – Homeland Security
For more information, visit Homeland Security degree requirements.
