Funeral counselor vs funeral planner

The differences between funeral counselors and funeral planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a funeral counselor and a funeral planner. Additionally, a funeral planner has an average salary of $48,622, which is higher than the $46,420 average annual salary of a funeral counselor.

The top three skills for a funeral counselor include funeral arrangements, and . The most important skills for a funeral planner are schedule appointments, , and .

Funeral counselor vs funeral planner overview

	Funeral Counselor	Funeral Planner
Yearly salary	$46,420	$48,622
Hourly rate	$22.32	$23.38
Growth rate	4%	4%
Number of jobs	28,476	14,997
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	2	2

Funeral counselor vs funeral planner salary

Funeral counselors and funeral planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Funeral Counselor	Funeral Planner
Average salary	$46,420	$48,622
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $78,000	Between $25,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between funeral counselor and funeral planner education

There are a few differences between a funeral counselor and a funeral planner in terms of educational background:

	Funeral Counselor	Funeral Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 33%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Northwestern University

Funeral counselor vs funeral planner demographics

Here are the differences between funeral counselors' and funeral planners' demographics:

	Funeral Counselor	Funeral Planner
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 42.6% Female, 57.4%	Male, 54.5% Female, 45.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 5.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 6.8% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between funeral counselor and funeral planner duties and responsibilities

Funeral counselor example responsibilities.

Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.
Provide financial oversight, including budget development, expense management, and financial analysis.
Specialize in Asian, Hindu, Buddist, Muslim, etc.

Funeral planner example responsibilities.

Provide financial oversight, including budget development, expense management, and financial analysis.
Specialize in Asian, Hindu, Buddist, Muslim, etc.

Funeral counselor vs funeral planner skills

Common funeral counselor skills

Funeral Arrangements, 100%

Common funeral planner skills

Schedule Appointments, 100%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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