Funeral Director Salary

Being a funeral director may sound like a morbid profession to some, but there are those that have a great interest in the work.  Not only that, they are providing a service to people during what is most often a very difficult time.  Funeral director salary depends on several different factors.  The median annual salary for funeral directors is over $52,000.  The middle half of those in the profession earn between $38,000 and $70,000 while the top 10 percent make over $92,000.  The lower 10 percent make just under $30,000.  Factors like experience, the number of services performed, location and level of education can all affect the amount of money a funeral director makes on a yearly basis.  Funeral directors that work in bigger cities tend to make more money than those working in small towns.

The Job of a Funeral Director

A funeral director typically works in a funeral home.  They are responsible for taking a deceased person's body to a mortuary where they prepare it for a funeral service and ceremony.  The funeral director does more than just prepare the body.  They may also perform the ceremony and tend to the needs of the deceased's family members.  The funeral director provides the family with comfort during what is a very sad and difficult time.  They must show compassion and discretion when they deal with grieving family members.

The funeral director can also be called a mortician or an undertaker.  They handle all the details and make the arrangements for a funeral.  They also respect the wishes of the family of the deceased person and will do everything possible to accommodate them.  The funeral director works with the family to schedule dates and times for viewing and funeral ceremonies.  This includes a wake, a ceremony and a burial at a cemetery.  The funeral director also arranges for a hearse to transport the body from the funeral home to the cemetery where burial will take place.

In addition to these details, the funeral director will make sure that notices of the person's death are placed in obituaries.  They will arrange for pallbearers and have the proper clergymen present during the service.  They must communicate with the people in charge of the cemetery to arrange a time for the grave to be opened and closed.  They also arrange for proper decorations and flowers for the funeral and for the grave site. 

Funeral directors must be properly trained and licensed by the state in which they practice.  Most funeral directors are also trained to embalm a body.  Embalming is a process that is done to prepare a body for a funeral service.  The funeral director is responsible for this as well as dressing the body and applying necessary makeup.  Basically, they prepare the body to be viewed at a wake if those the family wishes to have an open casket.  Embalming a body usually requires at least two people.  There may also be apprentices present. 

A funeral service can take place just about anywhere that the deceased or the deceased person's family desires.  They are usually held in a funeral home, but they can also take place in a home, church, grave site and other locations.  In order to accommodate various beliefs, a funeral director must be familiar with the different funeral rituals that people have. 

In the United States, most people are buried in a casket after they die.  Cremation is another popular alternative since it is less expensive and allows for memorial services to be held at a later time.  A special furnace is used to to burn the body and have ashes collected in an urn.  The ashes in the urn are usually placed in a final location.  They can be removed from the urn or the urn can be buried or displayed in a mausoleum or columbarium. 

In addition to all of these details, the funeral director also handles all of the paperwork involved with the death of a person.  They submit the proper documents to the state so an official certificate of death can be issued to the family members.  The funeral director can also handle all of the paperwork involving insurance and pensions that will go to the survivors or those specified in the deceased's will.

Some people choose to plan out their funerals in advance.  They do this by meeting with a funeral director to go over all of the details.  This also ensures that the funeral director can carry out everything desired by the client, as long as it is reasonable.  This is usually done at the funeral home.

Many funeral directors work in a funeral home.  The home usually has multiple viewing rooms as well as a casket viewing room where clients can choose a casket they want for their service.  There is also a room used to prepare the bodies and possibly a crematory.

Being a funeral director is a safe job for the most part.  It is possible that they will have to prepare the body of a person that had an infectious disease, but there are various safety regulations to follow that should eliminate any possible threat to their own health.  Long hours are often required for the job of funeral director, as well as working hours outside the typical workday.  Some funeral directors are on call in case they have to remove remains late at night.  Some funeral directors may work in shifts if they operate a funeral home that has weekend hours.  Larger funeral homes usually allow for normal 8 hour days five or six times a week.

Education for Funeral Directors

Those that wish to be funeral directors can take college courses in mortuary science.  This usually takes about two to four years to complete.  There are about 60 mortuary science programs in the United States that are approved by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.  Students can get a two-year associate's degree or go for a bachelor's degree.  The better the degree, the better the pay usually is.

If you are interested in a career as a funeral director, then contact your local colleges or universities to see what kind of mortuary science programs they offer.