A funeral director’s salary is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include his or her education and experience, as well as the nature of his or her work and the geographic area in which he or she operates. In addition, the firm’s ownership or partnership status, as well as the competition in the local market, can affect earning potential.
A local governing authority usually sets the level of required training and certification for funeral directors. This frequently determines what functions the funeral director is able to and will perform. In some areas, for example, a person can only be certified as a funeral director if they are also certified as a mortician. This means he or she is capable of working with the family, organizing and conducting funeral services, as well as preparing the body for burial.
Because this increases a funeral director’s value to the company, his or her salary can skyrocket. Even if a dual certification is not required by the local authority, a funeral director can increase his or her earning potential by learning new skills. Cosmetic application and business management, in addition to mortuary science, are examples of such skills.
A funeral director’s salary is partially determined by the going rate in his or her geographic market, as is the case with most professions. A funeral director in a big city makes a lot more money than one in a small town. This is primarily due to the difference in living costs. Furthermore, because fewer people are likely to be qualified, a director in an area with stringent certification qualifications may well make more than a director in an area where obtaining a license is easier.
Many funeral homes are privately owned, either as sole proprietorships or as part of small, independent chains. A funeral director in this type of establishment is likely to earn less than one in a large chain. Furthermore, an independent funeral home’s funeral director is very likely to own a stake in the company. Profit and loss considerations will have an impact on the funeral director’s salary in this case.
Whether a funeral director works for an independent funeral home or a chain, local market competition can have an impact on his or her salary. Customers who have a lot of options are usually more cost-conscious than those who have a limited number of options. This means that in a competitive market, a funeral home may be forced to offer its services at a lower price, resulting in a lower salary for the funeral director.