Anyone who loves people and helping them with their grief may be interested in becoming a funeral home director. Is this a difficult thing to accomplish though? What exactly does one need to do in order to become a funeral home director? Here are some of the different things that you should know before making the decision to become, or not become, a funeral home director.
Education
You are required to attend school in most states if you plan to become a funeral home director. Most community colleges offer associate’s degrees in Funeral Home Service. If you choose this route, you may be able to earn your degree in somewhere between 65 to 90 credits. Keep in mind, however, that there are some states which require you to attend mortuary college instead. Be sure to find out what the educational requirements in your state are before enrolling in any type of school with the intentions of being a funeral home director. It is best to avoid online programs, which may be scams. Also, keep in mind that it is best to attend college in the state that you plan to work in, as you will be able to learn the most about the laws regarding the funeral home business that will apply to you.
Continuing Education
Keep in mind that once you have completed your associate’s degree in funeral home education, you are probably not done. There are many states that require you to continue taking courses, even after you have earned an associate’s degree. Some states may require you to only take a few classes for a two or three years after you have earned a degree, while others may require you to continue to take courses as long as you wish to be a funeral home director.
Apprenticeship
If you are planning to become a funeral home director, it is important to keep in mind that you are going to need to do an apprenticeship. The amount of time that you may need to be an apprentice for will vary according to state; some states may require you to do it for one years, while others may require you to do it for three. In any case, you can expect to do an apprenticeship with an already established funeral home director for a period of time.
Board Examinations
In addition to attending school and doing an apprenticeship, you will also need to pass several board examinations. Not only will you need to pass the state board examination, but you will also need to pass the national state board examination. For information about board examinations and/or state requirements for funeral home directors, be sure to visit the National Funeral Directors Association, which can be found at http://www.nfda.org/.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook is good. Employment for funeral home directors is expected to increase by 12%, which is about average in comparison to most careers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that the median average earnings for funeral home directors was $49,620 as of May 2006. The lowest ten percent earned $28,410, while the highest ten percent earned $91,800. The middle fifty percent earned between $37,200 and $65,260. The job outlook is, and will remain, higher for funeral home directors who also do embalmment. Remember that many funeral home directors go on to own their own funeral homes.
For the right person, a career in funeral home directing can be a very rewarding career. While there are many things that you may need to do in order to eventually become a funeral home director, there is no doubt that it will be worth it if this is something that you are truly passionate about.
