How Many Years Does it Take to Become a Mortician
Morticians are more commonly known as funeral directors. Funeral directors are responsible for the care and burial or cremation of the deceased. Funeral directors also organize and administer the viewing of the body (or wake) and the funeral itself. Collaborating with family members, state health officials, clergy and the deceased individual's last wishes, funeral directors strive to give comfort to surviving family and friends while treating the deceased with respect. Considering education, licensure and practicum requirements, becoming a funeral director takes about three to four years.
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Education
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All funeral directors must have at least an associate's degree in the mortuary sciences or funeral sciences. Licensing varies from state to state, and the successful passing of an examination is required to become a licensed funeral director. Many programs require students to complete a practicum where they work with a licensed funeral director while enrolled in the funeral sciences program. The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) is the accrediting body for the mortuary or funeral sciences and has accredited fifty programs within the U.S. for funeral sciences. Coursework in the funeral sciences is fairly balanced between the sciences (anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pathology, restorative arts, embalming and microbiology), the social sciences (psychology and grief counseling, history and sociology of funeral rites and services), ethics and law (business law, funeral service law and funeral ethics) and business (funeral home management, small business management and basic computer skills).
Job Duties
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A funeral director's primary duties include the planning and management of a funeral service (including burial or cremation), consoling and counseling the bereaved and performing the embalming and restoring of the deceased. Funeral directors also often finalize the obituary notice and send it to the appropriate news outlets. Because the skills of a funeral director are always needed, funeral directors are often on-call at all times. Depending on the size of the funeral home, the duties of a funeral director can be shared among other directors and their assistants.
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Qualifications
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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in addition to the educational and licensing requirements, funeral directors must also be compassionate, respectful and possess excellent communications skills. Funeral directors are required to dress in business attire at all times to present a professional and sincere appearance. According to the ABFSE website, most funeral directors spend the majority of their time closely working with the family and friends of the deceased to ensure that their wishes and those of the deceased are properly met.
Salary
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According to the ABFSE website, recently licensed funeral directors earn between $25,000 and $29,000 a year. Besides experience, a funeral director's salary depends on the size of the funeral home in which he or she works. Larger funeral homes provide more services and therefore offer higher salaries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of a funeral director was over $49,000, with the top ten percent earning over $90,000 per year.
Professional Associations
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The National Funeral Directors Association offers professional development, seminars, workshops and additional resources for funeral directors in the United States. The American Board of Funeral Service Education accredits funeral science programs and offers financial aid, licensing and degree information and additional resources to students of the funeral sciences. In addition to these national organizations, there are a number of regional associations based on state and locality.
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