Morticians are to oversee an important service for deceased people, prepare their bodies for burial, and work closely with the loved ones of the deceased.

If you’ve ever thought about or considered working as a mortician, you might have asked, how much do morticians make?

Knowing the requirements for this job and the income could help you decide if you will fit into this position.

And in this article, we’ll explore how much morticians make and every other thing you need to know about being a mortician.

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What is a Mortician?

We primarily know a mortician for taking care of deceased people. But their daily duties could differ depending on what their clients need. Some common examples of the duties they carry out include planning burial arrangements with family members of the deceased person and assisting them with the entire preparation process.

As we all know, experiencing the death of a close family member or loved one is a trying time for the bereaved. Hence, a mortician ought to assist them during such a challenging period. These morticians are also responsible for transporting dead bodies from one place to the other.

A mortician takes a deceased body to the burial location and prepares it by applying makeup and embalming such that the body looks good enough for an open-casket funeral. Meanwhile, a mortician doesn’t work alone, he works alongside the people working at the place where the funeral will take place (such as a cemetery or church).

In addition, we can also refer morticians to funeral directors and undertakers. The responsibilities of a mortician may differ individually. However, a mortician works only with dead bodies, preparing them for burial. And most of them work with the family members of the deceased throughout the funeral preparation process.

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What Do Morticians Do?

A mortician supervises all facets of burial arrangements for a dead person and provides loving compassion for the deceased loved ones and family members.

Before now, morticians only prepare a corpse for burial. But currently, they also relate with the family members and loved ones of the deceased alongside making funeral arrangements and body preparation.

Due to a broader role, morticians are usually called funeral directors. Morticians’ duty could differ based on the size of the funeral home, but here are some common duties morticians carry out:

Embalm and prepare bodies for viewing before or during the burial.
Managing funeral services.
Documenting death certificates and other legal documents.
Supporting the family members of the deceased alongside making burial arrangements and providing them with necessary information.
Transporting the deceased from one place to the other.
Cremation of corpses.
Assisting people with pre-planning their burial arrangements.

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How To Become a Mortician

For you to work as a mortician, you will be required to complete an associate degree from an accredited institution and program. The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) issues the accreditation. Moreover, the U.S. provides funeral services and mortuary science programs.

At the end of your education, you will be qualified to write the national board exams given by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. And if you pass, you will be given a paid apprenticeship by the ABFSE but it doesn’t end there. When you finish the apprenticeship, you will have to take the state board exam. However, this depends on the state where you want to work.

Finishing your education and passing your exams are not just the only things required for this job. There are other specific skills you need to possess before you can work as a mortician. Deathcare requires that you have a lot of empathy for the people in despair. Death is a tough plight and morticians must understand that they will always work with grieved people.

Additionally, a mortician must possess great communication and organizational skills. The job of a mortician demands that he keep a record of every plan and is flexible in considering his clients’ needs.

So, if you have an interest in providing people with care and compassion in their challenging times, then you might want to consider a career as a mortician.

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Morticians Work Environment

Morticians work in funeral homes. They primarily prepare bodies and organize funeral services. Most times their job entails traveling to cemeteries, places of worship, private homes, and sites where the funeral services will be held.

Because of the stressful nature of their job, morticians usually have long shifts during the week and on weekends. They also stay on phone calls for long periods, even at night.

How Much Do Morticians Make? | Average Salary

Considering the challenges associated with working in the death care services industry, a lot of morticians earn a satisfying salary. So, the average annual salary for morticians is $50,633 (this is how much morticians make a year).

Moreover, some U.S. cities reportedly have the highest salaries for funeral directors. And they include Florida, Atlanta, Denver, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Jacksonville, Georgia, and King of Prussia.

For reporting’s sake, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics grouped funeral directors, morticians, and undertakers into a single category called funeral service workers.

Both reports predict a gradual decrease in opportunities for those working in this field between 2019 and 2029.

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Tips to Increase Your Pay as a Mortician

Having answered your initial question, “how much do morticians make?”, chances are that your pay as a mortician can be increased. And that is what we will be looking at below.

So, here are some tips to help increase your pay as a mortician:

1. Become more experienced

In the death services industry, having a high level of experience is an added advantage and could boost your pay as a mortician. Having more experience makes it easier for you to relate to the deceased’s family members. It also makes you know what to do at every point in time.

Meanwhile, death services companies mostly get jobs through referrals. So, if you’re a well-experienced mortician, you could get a lot of referrals from people you previously worked with that enjoyed your services. This, in turn, boosts your earnings.

And as your experience improves, you can qualify for a higher annual salary or hourly salary. Their experience in the job could influence, therefore, how much money morticians make.

2. Learn every task in the death care

Workers in some death care companies have specific tasks assigned to them but do not know about handling other related duties.

So, if you fall into this category, you can increase your earnings by becoming more well-rounded and learning how to carry out other tasks involved in the funeral planning and body preparation process.

For instance, if your role entails making burial arrangements, you could also learn how to embalm a corpse or apply makeup on a corpse. Increasing your capabilities could get you to a position that earns more.

3. Start up your own business

If you’ve had experience working in a death care services company, you could also start up your own business that offers death care services to the people in your community. However, before you begin the business, you need to be licensed.

You will also need a building where the dead bodies will be kept and some space where you will prepare them for burial.

4. Consider changing your work location

Your work location has a tremendous influence on your earning potential. This includes your physical location and the company you work for.

Morticians earn higher in some states (which we already talked about). So, you might change your location as it will increase your earning potential.

For example, working in a national death care company can earn you more than working for a small funeral home.

What are the Benefits of Being a Mortician?

1. Job Satisfaction

According to recent reports of job reviews, Working as a mortician has been rated as a highly satisfying Job.

2. Job Incentives

Working as a mortician actually does give health benefits in Dental care, vision etc.

3. Job security

Being a mortician requires some specific skills and a level of specialization and experience.This makes it a less competitive Job. Working as a Mortician also has a level of job security.

4. Job prospect

Between now and 2029, more persons are anticipated to work as morticians, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During this time, you can anticipate a 2.7 percent increase in employment.

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Conclusion

The question, “how much do morticians make?” has left a lot of people contemplating whether to take up a career as a mortician. However, this question has been answered in this article. They earn a comfortable salary, but how much money morticians make can be increased depending on a lot of factors that have been discussed above.

A mortician prepares dead bodies for burial through embalming, makeup application, and so on. They work in the death care services industry and small funeral homes. Morticians also support the loved ones and family members of the deceased during grief.

Frequently Asked Questions on How Much Do Morticians Make

Can I handle being a mortician?

While being a mortician can be emotionally exacting, it is the most rewarding career a person can venture into.

Is working at a funeral home stressful?

Well, morticians reportedly face a type of stress called compassion fatigue. This is, however, due to the amount of stress and anxiety involved in their job.

What is a morgue worker called?

A morgue worker is called a Diener. A Diener handles, moves, and cleans the corpses.

Is being a mortician a good career?

A career as a mortician is rewarding in terms of job security and a comfortable salary.

Is being a mortician hard?

Being a mortician is not a simple job, nor is it for the faint-hearted. It is demanding in terms of time and can be emotionally exacting too.

Can I handle being a mortician?

While being a mortician can be emotionally exacting, it is the most rewarding career a person can venture into.

Is working at a funeral home stressful?

Well, morticians reportedly face a type of stress called compassion fatigue. This is however due to the amount of stress and anxiety involved in their job.