Mortician Salary

When many people think about a mortician, they probably imagine a person that dresses in all black and hangs out in cemeteries all the time.  While it takes a special person to be able to do the work of a mortician, it can be a very interesting and rewarding career choice.  Morticians, also known as funeral directors or undertakers, provide a service for the public.  They help make arrangements with family members of the deceased in what is most likely a very difficult time.  People come to depend on morticians in the event of the death of a family member.

Morticians can make a very good living.  The median yearly salary for a funeral director or mortician is more than $52,000.  The middle portion of morticians make between $38,000 and $70,000.  The top earners in the field can make over $92,000 each year.  There are several factors that help determine how much money a mortician makes.  These can include location, level of education and experience and that types of services provided by the mortician.  Those that work in large cities usually earn more money than funeral directors that work in smaller towns.

Education in Mortuary Science

Anyone that wants to become a mortician or funeral director will need to take courses in college for mortuary science.  There are over 60 mortuary science programs in the United States and it takes from two to four years to earn a degree in the field of study.  These programs have been approved by the American Board of Funeral Service Education.  Students can earn an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree in mortuary science.  The more education and knowledge a mortician has, the better their pay will usually be.  Many colleges and universities offer programs in mortuary science.

What Does a Mortician Do?

Morticians spend most of their time working in a funeral home.  When a person dies, the mortician will take the body to their mortuary and prepare it for a funeral service.  In addition to preparing the body to be presented at a funeral, they also may perform the ceremony at the funeral.  There are other things they may do at the request of the family of the deceased.  The death of a loved one is a very difficult time for families, so the mortician is usually there to provide comfort and support.  Funeral directors must be able to show compassion for their clients and use the utmost discretion.

All the funeral arrangements are handled by the mortician.  A family may have special requests for the funeral service, so the funeral director will do everything possible to accommodate their wishes.  The director will work with the family in order to schedule dates and times for wakes and ceremonies.  Burial of the body will also be arranged with the mortician.  The mortician makes arrangements for the transportation of the body via a hearse from the funeral home to the cemetery.  They will place notices of death in the local obituaries, organize the pallbearers and have the appropriate member(s) of clergy to conduct the funeral ceremony.  Contacting the cemetery for burial plot info, opening and closing of a grave and the flowers that will adorn the grave are all things handled by the mortician or funeral director.

In order for a mortician to practice their craft, they must be licensed by the state.  They are usually also trained in the embalming process.  Embalming is a process that the mortician performs on the body to prepare it for a funeral.  This involves removing the body fluids and replacing them with embalming fluid for preservation.  The mortician will also dress the body in whatever attire the family chooses.  Makeup is then applied to the face of the body to make them look more visually appealing.  These details are especially important when doing an open-casket ceremony. 

Most funeral services are held at the funeral home, but they can also be held anywhere the family wishes.  Some people may even choose to have a funeral at a residence.  Morticians must be familiar with various types of funeral rituals and religious beliefs in order to be able to properly accommodate their requests.

There are several options for the body of a person after death.  In the United States, most people are buried in a casket.  They can also be cremated and have their ashes put into an urn.  This has become a popular options because it is less expensive and allows for funeral arrangements to be delayed if necessary.  A special furnace is used to burn the body and collect the ashes.  The urn the ashes are placed in can then be buried or the ashes can be spread out somewhere.  People usually write in their will what they want to happen to their remains.

The death of a person leaves a lot of paperwork to be done.  Luckily, the mortician is the one that handles all of this.  They will fill out all necessary documents and submit them to the state in order to receive a certificate of death that is issued to the family.  Paperwork involving insurance and pensions will also be handled by the funeral director.

Morticians are also available for people to meet with in order to plan out their own funerals in advance of their death.  Many people like to do this so that they can make their requests clear.  When they do die, all the details are taken care of and it is less of a burden on the family.

The funeral home where the morticians work will usually have multiple viewing rooms depending on the size of the building.  There is also a separate viewing room or showroom where caskets are on display to be picked out.  There is also usually a room used to prepare the bodies and possible even a crematory for cremations.

Being a funeral director is not as morbid as some people think.  Morticians provide a very necessary service for people during difficult times.  There is definitely always going to be a need for funeral directors.