How much does a funeral director make?

In the United States, pay can differ with experience and skills, licenses or credentials, the employer, and location. Funeral directors often work long, on-call hours, including evenings and weekends, so schedules and hours can also affect earnings.

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. Excludes “Funeral Home Managers” (11-9171).

What's a typical day like?

They meet families to plan the service, write obituaries, and arrange clergy, pallbearers, transport, and burial or cremation. They also file legal papers and help direct the ceremony, sometimes alongside several funerals in a day.

In the U.S., finish high school, earn an associate degree in funeral service or mortuary science, then complete supervised training (often 1–3 years) and pass required exams to get a state license. Most states require applicants to be 21, though rules vary.

Vocational school or a few years' experience (preparation level 3 of 5)

Good for people who like keeping things organized and leading and selling.

In the U.S., the first mortuary-science school opened in 1882—the same year funeral directors formed their national association.