Morticians, Undertakers and Funeral Directors: Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz

Stan T.Career, Overview

Morticians and Funeral Directors

Morticians and Funeral Directors perform various tasks to arrange and direct individual funeral services, such as coordinating transportation of body to mortuary, interviewing family or other authorized person to arrange details, selecting pallbearers, aiding with the selection of officials for religious rites, and providing transportation for mourners.

Salary
$59000
Becoming One
Medium
Education
Associate's degree
Job Satisfaction
Job Growth

Personality
Interest Match



Job description

Morticians, Undertakers and Funeral Directors perform various tasks to arrange and direct funeral services, such as coordinating transportation of body to mortuary, interviewing family or other authorized person to arrange details, selecting pallbearers, aiding with the selection of officials for religious rites, and providing transportation for mourners.

  • Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.
  • Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
  • Perform embalming duties, as necessary.
  • Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.
Read more about what does a Mortician, Undertaker and Funeral Director really do at work and what is it like being and working as one.



Salary

Average salary
$57620 per year

Average hourly wage
$28 per hour


Morticians and Funeral Directors with little to no experience tend to make between $29050 and $38770 while the more experienced ones can earn over $70500 per year.

Top 5 paying states Hourly Annual
CT $77 $159,970
IL $35 $72,280
NJ $35 $72,250
ND $35 $72,220
MA $34 $71,670

One of the easiest ways to increase your salary as a Mortician, Undertaker and Funeral Director is to move to a higher paying state like CT. Right now, the highest paying states for Morticians and Funeral Directors are CT, IL, NJ, ND and MA.

However, a higher pay at CT doesn’t guarantee that you will make more because the living expenses at CT might be twice as high than where you are currently at now.

Three other factors that can increase your salary as a Mortician, Undertaker and Funeral Director is the degree you hold, the industry you work in, and lastly the company you work for.


Requirements

Recommended degree level
Associate’s degree

We asked other Morticians and Funeral Directors what degree they had when they got the job and most of them said they had an Associate’s Degree followed by a Post-Secondary Certificate.

Other than that, we also asked them what did they major in and here are the most popular majors that came up.

Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General
Funeral Direction/Service
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Other
Read more about how to become a Mortician, Undertaker and Funeral Director and the degree, training and education you need.

Pros and Cons

Here are some of the pros and cons of being a Mortician, Undertaker and Funeral Director.

PROS
Suitable for people who likes to start and carry out projects
Suitable for people who values relationships between co-workers and customers and wants 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.
CONS
Not suitable for people who likes to solve problems mentally
Salary is below average
Long working hours (More than 40 hours per week)

What is the job like

Job satisfaction
68%

Is this job meaningful
87%


68% of Morticians and Funeral Directors said they were satisfied with their job and 87% said they feel like their job is making other people’s lives better.


Is this right for me

Best personality for this career
The Entrepreneurs and The Helpers

You can read more about these career personality types here.

People who are suitable for this job tends 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 working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.



Learn more about Morticians and Funeral Directors

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Job Description
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Related career information

Morticians and Funeral Directors job description, Morticians and Funeral Directors salary, Morticians and Funeral Directors information, what is the job of a Mortician, Undertaker and Funeral Director like, pros and cons about Morticians, Undertakers and Funeral Directors, colleges and universities for Morticians, Undertakers and Funeral Directors, is Morticians, Undertakers and Funeral Directors the right career for me, careers in Personal Care and Service

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