How to hire a funeral director

How to hire a funeral director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step funeral director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a funeral director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new funeral director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a funeral director do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The funeral director hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A funeral director's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, funeral directors from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of funeral directors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Funeral Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Funeral Director	Funeral service workers organize and manage the details of a funeral.	$13-24
   Funeral Arranger	Funeral Arrangers are responsible for assisting in managing funeral arrangements. Their duties include providing service advice, giving support to clients and families, facilitating family visits, answering phone calls, taking messages, and attending inquiries... Show more	$10-37
   Embalmer/Funeral Director	Funeral Directors are responsible for providing services in every aspect needed for a funeral or memorial gathering on behalf of the client's family. They must assist their clients in arranging personalized and significant memorial service in coordination with the family and client's desire... Show more	$13-24

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Client Families
   • Veterans
   • Compassion
   • Funeral Homes
   • SCI
   • Removals
   • Funeral Arrangements
   • Community Events
   • Necessary Paperwork
   • Prep Room
   • Life Insurance
   • Insurance Claims
   • Social Security
   • Insurance Policies

   Check all skills

   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.

   More funeral director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your funeral director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A funeral director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a funeral director in Tennessee may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level funeral director usually earns less than a senior-level funeral director. Additionally, a funeral director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average funeral director salary

   $39,048yearly

   $18.77 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level funeral director salary

   $29,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 27, 2025

   Average funeral director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$44,547	$21
   2	Washington	$44,473	$21
   3	Oregon	$44,239	$21
   4	Minnesota	$44,145	$21
   5	Pennsylvania	$43,709	$21
   6	Virginia	$42,751	$21
   7	Indiana	$42,512	$20
   8	Arizona	$42,099	$20
   9	North Carolina	$40,148	$19
   10	Florida	$40,053	$19
   11	Missouri	$39,703	$19
   12	Alabama	$39,284	$19
   13	Georgia	$39,260	$19
   14	Oklahoma	$39,259	$19
   15	New York	$36,246	$17
   16	Illinois	$34,919	$17
   17	Iowa	$34,787	$17
   18	Ohio	$34,084	$16
   19	Maryland	$33,753	$16
   20	Texas	$33,384	$16

   Average funeral director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Precoa	$40,288	$19.37
   2	GPAC	$40,163	$19.31
   3	Decisions	$39,743	$19.11
   4	Rose Hills Mortuary	$38,174	$18.35	8
   5	Service Corporation International	$38,116	$18.32	148
   6	Goodwin Recruiting	$37,736	$18.14
   7	StoneMor	$37,043	$17.81
   8	Foundation Partners	$36,866	$17.72	64
   9	NorthStar Memorial Group	$34,724	$16.69	34

4. Writing a funeral director job description

   A funeral director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a funeral director job description:

   Funeral director job description example

   Our associates celebrate lives. We celebrate our associates.
   
   Consider the possibilities of joining a Great Place to Work!
   
   Funeral Director is the primary contact with our families and interacts with them to fulfill the cremation arrangement needs for their love ones. Funeral Directors are responsible to ensure customers' full range of needs is addressed. He /She will provide customer service in all the areas of helping families and establishes strong personal and business relationships with customers.
   
   Why work for National Cremation Society? National Cremation Society is the largest provider of affordable cremation services in the nation. Over the past 50 years, our experienced team has assisted families in carrying out final wishes more affordably, with dignity, care, and respect.
   
   Certified a Great Place to Work 3 years in a row, we understand that our team members are our greatest asset. In addition to a work schedule unique to our industry, some rewarding benefits we provide include:
   
   * A generous compensation package, which consists of a base salary + bonus potential
   * Competitive health and wellness plans (medical, dental, vision, STD, LTD, wellness credits, etc.)
   * 401(k) with company match
   * Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, Holiday and Personal time)
   * Cell phone reimbursement
   * Job-related training, tuition reimbursement, and career path development
   * Company discounts, and more
   * Work/Life Balance
   * Office Hours M - F, 8:30 AM to 5 PM schedule
   
   We are currently looking for a compassionate, hard-working, and self-driven licensed Funeral Director to join our team.
   
   Essential Duties and Responsibilities
   
   * Meet with At-Need families in a professional, organized and caring manner.
   * Making arrangements and performing administrative duties, including preparing documents, processing reports, answering phones, and performing other tasks as assigned.
   
   Who should apply? Those who are dedicated to serving families; have a strong sense of teamwork, respect, trust, and communication; and have strong ethical and moral standards.
   
   Requirements:
   
   * Graduation from accredited mortuary college required
   * A Valid State Funeral Director license required
   * Associate's or Bachelor's degree a plus were not required for FD license
   * High level of compassion and integrity
   * Good communication skills
   * Proficient in computers and the ability to use technology while meeting with families
   
   If this describes you, apply today! We would love to have you join our growing team today, and enjoy a rewarding career with National Cremation Society.
   
   Postal Code: 33764
   
   Category (Portal Searching): Operations
   
   Job Location: US-FL - Clearwater

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find funeral directors for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your funeral director job on Zippia to find and recruit funeral director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with funeral director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new funeral director

   Once you have selected a candidate for the funeral director position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a funeral director?