If you are a religious person or your deceased one is religious and wants a religious funeral, you have probably gone to a funeral director to accompany the needs of your deceased loved one and give them a last good passage from this world.
Even though it might sound sad, you could honor them by providing a suitable funeral for your loved one.
A professional handles this ceremony in the best way possible called the funeral director.
A mortician, often known as a funeral director, is a person who organizes funerals, burials, and cremations.
A funeral director can be a sole proprietor who handles all aspects of the funeral home’s operations, or he might lead a team of people who do various jobs.
Certain funeral directors may be liable for embalming if an embalmer is not on duty.
They work with the dead all the time and also must have the necessary soft skills to handle a grieving person, which is one of the hardest things.
That is why you might wonder how much do funeral directors make and which state pays them the most money?
According to ZipRecruiter, Washington pays 10.8% more salary to funeral directors as compared to their national average.
To find out the hourly, minimum, and maximum pay for funeral directors, keep reading!
Summary
| Guide | How Much Do Funeral Directors Make? |
|---|---|
| Average Income | $54,140 per year |
| Highest Income | $80,000 per year |
| Education Qualification | Mortuary science associate’s degree |
| Training | Needed |
Who Are Funeral Directors?
Funeral directors, also known as morticians, offer a wide range of services to the bereaved and their families.
A Funeral directors carry out every element of a funeral in line with the religious and personal beliefs of the remaining family members, helping the bereaved to grieve and cope with their loss.
Funeral directors and morticians are two terms that you can use interchangeably. The majority of a funeral director’s duties take place in a funeral home.
Funeral directing is not as simple as it may appear. As you must coordinate with a large number of individuals who are mourning.
You also need to work with the dead closely all the time, which creeps a lot of people out, which results in not wanting anyone to work as a funeral director.
Also Read: How Much Do Forklift Drivers Make?
How Much Do Funeral Directors Make In 2023?
Funeral directors often work full-time and work long days, including nights and weekends, with many being on call.
So a funeral director’s typical compensation has a lot of differentiation.
It varies depending on their amount of education, relevant job experience, and geographic area.
In smaller communities or states, you could be the only funeral director who could lead you to earn higher amounts as there are not many people willing to do the profession in that location, and demand is low.
This means that you could still get more elevated than the average working in a small community.
However, the average annual wage in the United States for all funeral directors is $54,140.
1. How Much Do Funeral Directors Make an Hour?
Funeral Directors make a minimum of $14.90 an hour and a maximum of $36.06 an hour.
2. How Much Do Funeral Directors Make a Month?
Funeral Directors make a minimum of $2,583 a month and a maximum of $6,250 a month.
3. How Much Do Funeral Directors Make a Year?
Funeral Directors make a minimum of $31,000 a year and a maximum of $75,000 a year.
Highest Salary Of Funeral Directors
Funeral directors could earn very different salaries due to the difference in the location, demand, expertise.
The top %10 of the most experienced funeral directors earn around $80,000 on average annually.
Duties & Responsibilities of Funeral Directors
Is Being A Funeral Director Good Or Bad?
Being a funeral director is indeed one of the most spooky professions and the hardest mentally because you not only work with the dead all the time, you also need to handle the loved ones of the deceased, which requires an immense amount of patience and mental strength.
That is the main reason why many people do not even consider pursuing a career as a funeral director.
Still, the pay is not bad, so you could consider being a funeral director if you like to handle people and work in a religious place.
Pros and Cons of Being a Funeral Director
Pros
- Competitive salary
- Consistent demand
- They offer support
- You get to be your own boss
Cons
- Emotionally draining
- Irregular work hours
How To Become A Funeral Director?
Here’s how you can become a Funeral Director:
- Funeral directors must have a mortuary science associate’s degree, at the very least. Or they can also obtain an associate degree, but the program they choose should be accredited by ABFSE.
- During the education program, the candidate will attend classes on professional ethics, chemistry, mortuary law, anatomy, microbiology, and other subjects.
- After getting the degree, the candidate is required to enroll for the apprentice program. For one to three years, students work under the direct supervision of a professional funeral director.
- After finishing their studies, funeral directors must get a state license to work professionally. For this, they have to pass the state licensing examination.
- Once they have the license, they can start building their resume and applying for jobs.
Funeral directors prepares bodies for burial, counsel family, loved ones, takes care of funeral administration, legislation & regulations pertaining to death and funeral ceremonies.
According to Indeed, public speaking abilities are crucial in this industry, and they aid in developing interpersonal skills, which are vital in this field.
Soft skills are essential because you work with the relatives of a deceased person, which means you need to use more sympathy.
How Many Hours Does Funeral Directors Work?
Funeral Directors work for irregular hours; they can be called any day, anytime, so they should be prepared to work during holidays, weekends, etc.
On average, Funeral Directors work for more than 40 hours a week.
What is the Starting Pay of Funeral Directors?
The starting pay of Funeral Director is $14.90 an hour or $2,583 a month.
This job pays a good amount of money and is always in demand. With more experience, you can earna s much as $6,250 a month.
Should You Become a Funeral Director?
Funeral Director Training Programs
There are no official training programs for the profession, but you need to have an apprenticeship before working as a funeral director.
The ABFSE requires you to undergo an apprenticeship that might take one to three years after completing your academic study in mortuary science.
You may be able to finish the apprenticeship before, during, or after your formal schooling, depending on your timetable and the state regulations where you reside.
You can only execute responsibilities as an apprentice in a mortuary under the direct supervision of an experienced mortician.
So this will give you the practical experience you’ll need to land a career as a funeral director.
Conclusion
To finish it off, funeral directors are those who handle everything about a funeral and try to do it in the way that the loved ones of the deceased want, which requires a lot of soft skills to talk to them and handle everything because they have just lost a loved one and they are extremely sensitive.
You need to get a certificate to be a funeral director and study for it for a while, but the pay is good in the majority of the parts of the country and could get you a good life.
FAQ
How much do funeral directors make in a rural area?
In rural areas, there are not many people who want to work as a funeral director, so the chances of getting something more than the average are high.
How much do funeral directors make when they are doing their apprenticeship?
So this totally depends on where you are doing the apprenticeship. Some places do not pay anything, and some places pay the absolute minimum.
How much do funeral directors make after years of experience?
Once you are a seasoned funeral director, you could get a glimpse of the top 10%’s salary.
Shefali Jain is a Content Writer & Editor at USWorkforce.org
After completing her graduation in hospitality, Shefali decided to follow her passion and started writing. Shefali has been writing for two years now and contributes to our website as a skilled editor and content writer with strong research skills. Writing product and service reviews, biographies, and book reviews are some of her key areas, among many others in which she specializes. In her time at the organization, she has written and edited content on a range of topics, including employment law, human resources, and business management.
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