What Does A Funeral Service Manager Do (including Their Typical Day at Work)

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Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Funeral Service Managers

Funeral Service Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes. Includes activities such as determining prices for services or merchandise and managing the facilities of funeral homes.

Salary
$91530
Becoming One
Medium
Education
Associate's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality


What they do

Funeral Service Managers plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes. Includes activities such as determining prices for services or merchandise and managing the facilities of funeral homes.

  • Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
  • Direct and supervise work of embalmers, funeral attendants, death certificate clerks, cosmetologists, or other staff.
  • Schedule funerals, burials, or cremations.
  • Sell funeral services, products, or merchandise to clients.

Typical day

On a daily basis, Funeral Service Managers monitor funeral service operations to ensure that they comply with applicable policies, regulations, and laws. They identify skill development needs for funeral home staff.

A typical day for a Funeral Service Manager will also include:

  • Plan and implement changes to service offerings to meet community needs or increase funeral home revenues.
  • Complete and maintain records, such as state-required documents, tracking documents, or product inventories.
  • Schedule funerals, burials, or cremations.
  • Sell funeral services, products, or merchandise to clients.
  • Offer counsel and comfort to families and friends of the deceased.

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Funeral Service Managers also explain goals, policies, or procedures to staff members. They may also review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to identify opportunities for cost reductions or service improvements.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Funeral Service Managers evaluate the performance of vendors, contract employees, or other service providers to ensure quality and cost-efficiency. They might also sell funeral services, products, or merchandise to clients.

In addition, they negotiate contracts for prearranged funeral services.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them schedule funerals, burials, or cremations.

To some Funeral Service Managers, it is also their responsibility to offer counsel and comfort to families and friends of the deceased.

What is the job like

Job satisfaction

Very High

Is this job meaningful

High

75% said they were satisfied with their job and 62% said they found their job meaningful.


Willis Turner, CAE
Virtual Memorial Gatherings

My first task at the beginning of the day is to check my calendar for appointments, review the client details and prepare for each appointment. Since our company provides virtual services, all of my appointments with clients are by telephone or Zoom video call.

Setting up to live stream a funeral

Setting up to live stream a funeral

Some of my time is spent with prospective clients as we provide a complimentary consultation first to see if our services are a good fit for their needs.

Once a client has booked an event with us I spend time assisting them with putting together the details of the virtual memorial or funeral service.

A lot of time is spent asking questions and listening to the client to help them create an event that is special and meaningful to them. A lot of attention is spent reviewing and confirming all of the details, so it is important to make detailed notes and have a good sense of project management.

Project management is very important aspect of my job and takes up a good portion of my day. I review the project files for each client and follow up with other team members on the status of tasks, manage due dates and confirm details with clients.

Sourcing new vendors or contacting existing vendors to build and maintain relationships is important. I rely on many 3rd parties for services such as videographers, venues, translators and more to help meet the needs of our clients.

Office setup for virtual meetings and conducting virtual memorials

Office setup for virtual meetings and conducting virtual memorials

Pros

No two events are exactly alike, so I can develop a general template for the event framework, every event needs to be created from a blank canvas. That makes the work very interesting.

Cons

One of the downsides of funeral planning is that you are exposed to a lot of grief and it is hard to separate yourself from it. The gratification that comes from helping people when they are at their most vulnerable and being a comfort to them is extremely rewarding.


Pros

Suitable for people who like to start and carry out projects.

Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.

This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.

It is not too difficult to get into this career. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.

Demand for this career is growing fast.

Cons

Not suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.

Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week).

How much do they make

Average salary

$91530 per year

Average hourly wage

$44 per hour

Entry-level Funeral Service Managers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $42,990 to $55,400 per year or $21 to $27 per hour.

Salary by experience Annual Hourly
Highest (Top 10%) $156,940 $75
Senior (Top 25%) $106,260 $51
Median $74,200 $36
Junior (Bottom 25%) $55,400 $27
No experience (Bottom 10%) $42,990 $21

This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Funeral Service Managers based on their average annual salary.

Salary by industry Annual Hourly
Death Care Services $91460 $43.97

View more salary by industries here.

Where can they work

Where can Funeral Service Managers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Funeral Service Managers including the average salary in that industry.

Employers Total Employed Annual Salary Hourly Wages
Death Care Services 9970 $91460 $43.97

What is the work day like

Working hours

Less than 40 hours
12%

40 hours
32%

More than 40 hours
56%

Working schedule

46%

54%

0%

Email

How often do you use email in this job?

Once a week
0%

Every day
87%

Telephone

How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?

Once a week
0%

Every day
88%

Group discussions

How often do you have group discussions in this job?

Once a week
0%

Every day
75%

Public speaking

How often does this job require you to do public speaking?

Never
12%

Once a year
27%

Once a month
13%

Once a week
20%

Every day
28%

Level of competition

How much competitive pressure is in this job?

Not competitive at all
14%

Slightly competitive
26%

Moderately competitive
34%

Highly competitive
15%

Extremely competitive
11%

What is the work environment like

Office-style environment

Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition

Never
25%

Once a year or more
2%

Once a month or more
0%

Once a week or more
4%

Every day
69%

Warehouse-style environment

Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse

Never
33%

Once a year or more
3%

Once a month or more
10%

Once a week or more
52%

Every day
2%

Outdoors

Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions

Never
2%

Once a year or more
12%

Once a month or more
22%

Once a week or more
58%

Every day
5%

Outdoors – Under Cover

Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)

Never
54%

Once a year or more
1%

Once a month or more
15%

Once a week or more
28%

Every day
2%

How to become one

Difficulty to become one

Medium
You will need previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience. Most careers in this difficulty category require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an Associate’s degree, and one or two years of on-the-job training. Similar careers include Travel Agents, Agricultural Technicians, Court Reports, and Medical Assistants.

Required level of education

What level of education do you need to perform the job?

Less than a High School Diploma
0%

High School Diploma or equivalent
8%

Post-Secondary Certificate
0%

Some College Courses
0%

Associate’s Degree or similar
57%

Bachelor’s Degree
12%

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
9%

Master’s Degree
0%

Post-Master’s Certificate
0%

First Professional Degree
13%

Doctoral Degree
0%

Post-Doctoral Training
0%

Relevant majors

Funeral Service and Mortuary Science

A program that generally prepares individuals for careers in the funeral service industry and for licensure as funeral service directors or morticians. Includes instruction in the basic elements of mortuary science and the business, counseling, and operational aspects of funeral service.

Funeral Direction/Service

A program that prepares individuals for professional licensure as funeral directors and as managers of funeral homes, cemeteries, and related services. Includes instruction in the sociology of death and dying, psychology of grief and grief counseling, history of funeral service, funeral direction, business law, funeral service law, funeral home management, accounting and related computer operations, and funeral services marketing and merchandising.


Relevant work experience

How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?

None
0%

1 month
0%

1 to 3 months
0%

3 to 6 months
0%

6 months to 1 year
8%

1 to 2 years
55%

2 to 4 years
25%

4 to 6 years
0%

6 to 8 years
0%

8 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
12%

On The Job Training

How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?

None or short demonstration
11%

1 month
2%

1 to 3 months
20%

3 to 6 months
0%

6 months to 1 year
30%

1 to 2 years
34%

2 to 4 years
2%

4 to 10 years
0%

Over 10 years
0%

Should you become one

Best personality type for this career

The Leader

People with this personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.

The Builder
19%

People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.


The Thinker
29%

People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.


The Artist
29%

People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.


The Helper
62%

People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.


The Leader
100%

People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.


The Organizer
67%

People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.


You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tend to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.

Work Values

Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?

Achievement
81%

You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.

Working Conditions
69%

You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.

Recognition
71%

You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.

Relationships
90%

You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Support
38%

You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.

Independence
76%

You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.

FAQ


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