Funeral director vs licensed funeral director

The differences between funeral directors and licensed funeral directors 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 director and a licensed funeral director. Additionally, a funeral director has an average salary of $39,048, which is higher than the $38,451 average annual salary of a licensed funeral director.

The top three skills for a funeral director include client families, veterans and compassion. The most important skills for a licensed funeral director are funeral arrangements, life insurance, and client families.

Funeral director vs licensed funeral director overview

	Funeral Director	Licensed Funeral Director
Yearly salary	$39,048	$38,451
Hourly rate	$18.77	$18.49
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	5,746	15,667
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 52%
Average age	49	49
Years of experience	2	2

Funeral director vs licensed funeral director salary

Funeral directors and licensed funeral directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Funeral Director	Licensed Funeral Director
Average salary	$39,048	$38,451
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $28,000 And $52,000
Highest paying City	Belmont, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Precoa	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between funeral director and licensed funeral director education

There are a few differences between a funeral director and a licensed funeral director in terms of educational background:

	Funeral Director	Licensed Funeral Director
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 52%
Most common major	Mortuary Science	Mortuary Science
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Funeral director vs licensed funeral director demographics

Here are the differences between funeral directors' and licensed funeral directors' demographics:

	Funeral Director	Licensed Funeral Director
Average age	49	49
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 1.8% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.5% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.6% Asian, 1.8% White, 77.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between funeral director and licensed funeral director duties and responsibilities

Funeral director example responsibilities.

Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.
Greet them with empathy and compassion, conveying to family members that their every need will be meet.
Escort families to proper burial locations to include; scheduling with appropriate service component regarding ceremonies that are bestow to veterans.
Provide financial oversight, including budget development, expense management, and financial analysis.
Certify crematory operator; participate on removals; and assist on calling hours and funerals.
Specialize in Asian, Hindu, Buddist, Muslim, etc.

Licensed funeral director example responsibilities.

Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.
Certify crematory operator; participate on removals; and assist on calling hours and funerals.
Initiate utilizing cutting edge technology at locations providing families with remembrance DVD's and the option of web casting.

Funeral director vs licensed funeral director skills

Common funeral director skills

Client Families, 23%
Veterans, 21%
Compassion, 19%
Funeral Homes, 16%
SCI, 14%
Removals, 4%

Common licensed funeral director skills

Funeral Arrangements, 15%
Life Insurance, 14%
Client Families, 12%
Social Security, 10%
Insurance Claims, 8%
Funeral Homes, 8%

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Funeral Director vs Licensed Funeral Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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