Funeral Service Workers

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Duties

The following is a typical day for someone working in the funeral industry:

• Assist the mourning loved ones and friends of the departed with advice and consolation.
• Describe the many types of funeral services available.
• The deceased's body must be removed from the scene.
• Prepare the deceased's corpse (remains) for the funeral service
• The proper authorities should be notified on the death of a loved one.

Workers in the funeral service industry assist in determining the venues, dates, and times of wakes (visits), funerals or memorial ceremonies, burials and cremations. Additionally, they assist the family in deciding whether the corpse should be interred, buried, or burned. This choice is crucial since funeral rituals differ from culture to culture and from religion to religion.

In the majority of cases, funeral directors handle the paperwork involved in a person's death, such as submitting paperwork to the state to get a death certificate. It's also possible that they'll assist in resolving insurance disputes; applying for funeral benefits; or notifying Social Security or the VA.

It is common for people to arrange their own funerals in advance so that their wishes may be realized, and the burden of preparing can be alleviated for those who are left behind by their loved ones after they die.

Education

To start a career in mortuary science or funeral service education, many people need an associate's degree. Most courses cover topics including grief counseling, funeral planning, and business law. Accredited schools also teach embalming and rehabilitation.

The ABFSE accredits community college funeral service and mortuary science programs. Some of these courses lead to bachelor's degrees.

Some employers prefer people with bachelor's degrees, even if an associate's degree is usually required. Students commonly study mortuary science, psychology, and business.

High school students can prepare for careers in the funeral industry by taking biology, chemistry, economics, and public speaking classes.

Part-time or summer work in a funeral home might provide useful experience.

Training

Funeral directors and managers must oversee student morticians and funeral arrangers for one to three years. Apprenticeships and internships are available for graduates of mortuary science or funeral care schools.

Licenses and certifications

Most states and the DC require licenses. Colorado is the only state that offers an optional certification program. Although state laws and tests vary, most applicants must meet the following requirements:

Have gained majority age (age 21)

Completion of an ABFSE-accredited mortuary science or funeral service program.

A state or national test.

Intern for one to three years.

Multiple state licenses are required. Contact each state's licensing board for specific criteria. Most states require funeral directors to complete continuing education requirements to keep their licenses.

The National Funeral Directors Association, the Cremation Association of North America, and the International Cemetery, Cremation, and Funeral Association all offer crematory accreditation (ICCFA). A lot of states demand certification. For further information, contact your state board or professional associations.

Work Experience in Related Fields

Often, funeral directors and morticians who operate a funeral home have many years of expertise.

Important traits

The ability to trade. Financial skills and the ability to run a funeral home efficiently are vital for funeral directors and managers.

Compassion. Death is a touchy issue. A funeral director must have sympathy and empathy for the bereaved.

Pay

The median annual wage for funeral home managers was $75,660 in May 2023. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,830, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $131,360.

Job Projections

Overall employment of funeral service workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations.