How much do funeral directors get paid?
A- This question has nothing to do with embalming, but for some reason it is the second most asked question I receive via e-mail. Salaries of funeral directors depend on three major factors. First and foremost, experience. Secondly, location of funeral home, and finally the number of funerals that the funeral home conducts on an annual basis. Experience needs no explanation. Location is a major factor because salaries are much higher in large cities, such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. This is partly because funeral directors are unionized in these cities, and the cost of living in cities is much more. Number of funerals plays a part, because if a funeral home conducts 40 funeral a year, he will not be able to pay as much as one that conducts 80 funerals per year. However, the funeral director doing 40 funerals, only does half the work of one doing over 80 funerals. Just as a rough estimate, a funeral director working in rural New York may get paid between 30-40 thousand dollars
