I could never be a funeral director.
Being the human resources geek that I am, I visited the BLS website in the aftermath of my great aunt’s death. I wanted to learn a little more about the funeral services industry. It turns out that being a funeral director is a hot job. (You Baby Boomers out there — the ones who don’t trust anyone over 40 — are singlehandedly responsible for expanding the market. Way to go!)
I learned that the job of a funeral director is quite scientific and technical. Funeral directors are licensed; there are serious compliance issues related to federal & local regulations; and most employees in the field have four-year degrees. Furthermore, the job of a funeral director is quite complicated and requires a working knowledge of laws, ethics, and various religious traditions. There’s also a psychological component built into the job and the successful candidate must be able to guide a grieving family through a series of very important financial & emotional decisions.
Oy.
The National Funeral Directors Association has a fascinating website, too, with interesting resources and statistics. (Did you know that a cremation chamber reaches between 1400 degrees to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit? Neither did I.)
Here are some significant points about the job from the BLS website:
- Job opportunities should be good, particularly for those who also embalm.
- Funeral directors are licensed by the State in which they practice.
- Funeral directors need the ability to communicate easily and compassionately and to comfort people in a time of sorrow.
You can also visit the NFDA website and learn more about being a funeral director. What surprises me most is that only 20% of the people who work in the funeral services industry are self-employed. (I thought that number would be higher but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a corporatist movement in the field.)
Also, I was surprised to learn that the median annual earnings for wage and salary funeral directors were $49,620 in May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $37,200 and $65,260. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,410 and the top 10 percent earned more than $91,800.
Only $91,800? Really, I thought they’d earn more — especially because they are asked to work with both dead people and the grieving, emotional relatives. I don’t know anyone in the field of funeral services, so I can’t ask if there are other perks with the job beyond the emotional satisfaction of assisting people during a crisis.
I am attending my great aunt’s funeral services on Monday & Tuesday. I won’t be live-blogging the endeavor (although I might be on Twitter); however, I will attempt to seek out the owners of the funeral home and ask them if they want to talk about their jobs. I’m curious, yo. I will report back to you in the evening and provide any additional facts/stories from the funeral home proprietors. I might also have some family tidbits to share, too.
six feet under, my favorite show ever, sheds a lot of light on all of these things.
I used to be an obituary writer (for the last newspaper I worked for), and I’m still good friends with one of the funeral directors I met through my job. Yes, there absolutely is a corporatist movement afoot — lots of small, family-owned funeral homes have been purchased by big corporate entities. I think that part of it may be the expense that comes from running a funeral home that encourages people to sell; that, and if no one in the family wants to keep the business going.
My friend was an excellent funeral director, but I think he burned out on dealing with the impossible families. I was an obit writer for about 15 months, and the impossible people were REALLY impossible! I’m not surprised that there isn’t more money in the field, either, given that funerals are expensive and it’s got to be difficult to feel inclined to build in a large profit margin when dealing with people who are grief-stricken.
@cols You can tell that I was too cheap to pay for HBO for many years.
@lea I can’t imagine that it’s cheap to run a funeral home. Lots of chemicals, compliance issues, etc. I can only imagine that it’s a tough ethical decision for funeral directors to hike prices to keep up with the cost of goods. I would suggest charging on a sliding scale: if your family is decent and doesn’t cause too much trouble, we’ll give you a reasonable price. You’re family wants drama? That’s double.
I like to read the obits. People think it is weird, but you can learn a lot from those things. They are interesting.
Or maybe I just have way too much time on my hands…
I read them & my grandmother reads them, too. She says things like, “Lots of cancer & lots of heart disease, this week.”
I read the obits too… I like to read about what people did with their lives you know “she loved her garden” or “He was passionate about model airplanes” and I also like imagining people’s weddings from a long time ago.
But the obits of young (not elderly) people make me super sad so I usually just glance at them.
@Lexy I’m with you about the young obits. Totes sad to read when young kids die of cancer or young adults die in auto accidents. Life = depressing.
Laurie,
I am a Funeral Director and a Funeral Home owner. I would love to answer all of your questions. This is an industry that I love and gives me the unique ability to serve many families through a very stressful time. The pay is not high due to the corporate giants who answer to thier stock holders. As an small independent funeral home we pay directors more, due to the fact that we can not offer the best of Health Insurance due to cost. Please feel free to contact me at any time, I am an open book to you or anyone else.
Jeff, what an amazing website and what an interesting statement about compensation & health insurance. I love your involvement with Bo’s Place, too, and I wish you the best of luck with your business. You are great representative for your industry.
I work in the funeral industry and though it is a very busy job (most people/friends/family) think that it is a quite slow paced job, it is far far far from the truth. I encounter “different” people all the time, and yes we do get the “impossible” family, actually quite often, unfortunately. However, we do get the families who are so appreciative and thankful, and that makes the job all that much better. Knowing that you made one of the most difficult times in their lives a little easier for them.
Hi Laurie!
I have been a licensed FD/Embalmer for about 9 years now and love what I do. Families share with me the most interesting, funny and shocking stories! Most people focus on the fact that we deal with the dead but we actually get to celebrate a life.