Licensed Funeral Director Job Description

Management of Funeral Services

The US Department of Labor predicts that the employment of funeral service workers will grow at an average rate of 12% per year between now and 2022. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that there is a need for 3,200 new funeral service directors by the year 2022. You can manage your own funeral home and personalize every aspect of your services to the location if you are a funeral director.

You can work for a funeral home that is owned by a conglomerate. Most funeral directors are trained, licensed and practicing embalmers. Two or more embalmers will be employed at larger funeral homes.

If more than 24 hours pass between death and the funeral, most states require that a body be preserved and prepared for burial, which is similar to the process of refrigeration. Although interment is a common practice in the United States, burial in a casket is a more common practice. The lower cost of cremation and its convenience has made it a popular option in recent years.

With cremation, funeral services can be held anywhere, at any time, and even months later for all of your family and friends to be able to attend. The funeral services are decided by the family or loved one. The funeral services usually take place in a home, place of worship, funeral home, or crematory.

Some services are not religious, but reflect family beliefs. Different funeral and burial customs of many faiths and ethnic groups are required of funeral directors. In some cases, funeral directors will assist family members with further formality such as requesting veterans' burial benefits, or applying for the transfer of pensions, insurance policies, or annuities on behalf of survivors.

The role of a funeral director in the planning and execution for cremation

The responsibilities of a funeral director have evolved over the years from preparing the deceased for burial to now helping the family through a difficult time of loss. The funeral and memorial service duties that used to be handled by friends, family or clergy have become the director's responsibility. The family will meet with the funeral director after the death of a loved one.

The family will choose a vault or urn. The funeral service will be planned, as well as discussions about the flowers, music, pallbearers, clergy, headstone, or grave marker. The director is usually the one who helps plan a funeral or memorial service.

The family of the deceased doesn't have to write many checks because they will arrange payments for all third party vendors. After meeting with the family, the funeral director is supposed to prepare the loved one for cremation or an embalming service. The funeral director licensed mortuary will be in charge of all preparation for the funeral.

The funeral director will contact the cemetery to arrange for the digging of the grave or opening of the mausoleum. They will be in touch with the family's chosen clergy member and will give them information about the service and musical selections. The director will contact the life insurance provider of the deceased to inform them of the death.

The funeral director arranges transportation to the cemetery after the funeral service. They will also transport flowers to the grave, with any extra flowers and arrangements going to where the family suggests. The family and friends of a deceased love one can get through the funeral process without having to worry about the details.

The Careers of Funeral Directors

The funeral directors are in charge of various aspects of the funeral home. They monitor the company's finances and inventory, working alongside accountants to maintain records, make purchases, organize payroll and tax processing, and prepare budgets. Creating marketing plans and analyzing business needs are some of the duties that may be included.

A degree in mortuary science is a requirement for many funeral directors. They can get certification through accredited institutions. Regulations specify that funeral directors must have state licensure and have classroom training to work in the industry.

They must pursue learning opportunities every year to maintain their licensure. The median annual salary of funeral directors is around $45,000. The funeral directors in the top 10 percent of earners make as much as $71,000 a year, while the lowest 10 percent make less than $30,000.

A Guide to Planning a Funeral Service

A funeral director is a person who manages a funeral home, arranges the details of a funeral, and gives much needed sympathy and compassion to the loved ones of the deceased. A growing number of funeral directors are working with clients who want to plan their own funerals in advance to make sure that their needs are met. If a person dies in one place and is to be buried or cremated elsewhere, many funeral directors help prepare and ship bodies.

The funeral directors embalm the dead. The body is prepared for burial in a casket through the Embalming process. There are a number of places where funeral services can be held, including a home, house of worship, funeral home, or gravesite.

The State of the Art: Regulations for Funeral Directors

Understanding the work environment is important before you start working as a funeral director embalmer. Preparing dead bodies for burial isn't the right job choice for everyone, but it's actually a small part of your job. According to Fine Mortuary College, a funeral director's time is spent helping families plan funerals, which can be very time consuming and stress inducing when family members refuse to agree on the services.

Every state has its own regulations for funeral directors andembalmers. All states have age limits. Some states require you to be at least 18 years old, while others only require you to be 21.

Check with your local board for the regulation. You should explore the requirements for embalmers and funeral directors in your state. You must pass an exam under the supervision of the board after completing your education and apprenticeship requirements.

Some boards interview you before approving you for a license. You must apply for the license every three years after completing continuing education credits, and the fees vary by state. The BLS shows the average funeral director salary was $58,360 in 2019.

Become an Embodied Funeral Director

Many funeral directors are on call and they work long days, including nights and weekends. The average salary of a funeral director is dependent on a number of factors. Depending on the degree you choose, most programs take about two to four years to complete.

If you are interested in opening your own mortuary, some prospective funeral directors may want to take business courses. You can start preparing for a career in funeral directing by taking public speaking, biology and chemistry courses in high school. Students can get experience in summer jobs at some mortuaries.

After you complete your apprenticeship and two years of college, you must pass a state licensing examination to become a funeral director. The minimum age for prospective funeral directors is 21. The subjects that are covered in the exam are psychology, funeral service merchandising, business law, funeral service history, microbiology, pathology, and theology.

Depending on the state you live in, the funeral director and embalming license may be issued separately. Updating your resume is important after you get your funeral director's license. You can add your hands-on experience from your internship or apprenticeship.

You can include your highest education level as well as any professional references. If you had a good relationship with the mortician you worked with, you may want to ask for a letter of recommendation to improve your chances of being hired. You may be required to take continuing education to maintain your funeral director's licensure.