A funeral director is also known as a mortician, and is responsible for the various operations involved in a funeral. This includes performing the embalming and actual funeral of the deceased, or the cremation if that’s what has been requested by them. The funeral director must meticulously plan the funeral ceremony, hire the appropriate services and coordinate them to make sure that the event flows smoothly and without interruptions. In some cases, the funeral director will also be responsible for sending out the invitations to the attendants as requested by the family of the deceased.
Becoming a funeral director can be tricky, as it’s traditionally a family business and most companies prefer to work closely with their families, hiring little to no outside help. However, there are exceptions, especially for candidates with a proper (mortuary science) degree who have some prior experience working in a funeral home or a cemetery. There are various skills required for performing the job, most of which are learned in the course of employment.
Funeral directors are able to earn rather well, scoring an average annual pay of between $50,000 – $73,000. The job is very flexible in its working hours, as the funeral director is technically only working when there’s a funeral at hand. This can equal a full regular working day in some busier areas, or on the other hand it can lead to just a few hours of work required every week in some lower-populated areas that don’t offer as much business to funeral directors.