It is understanding that working a funeral home would be hard on the psych, but it may surprise you. You must be comfortable talking to grieving families and trying to talk as the crematory operator pokes a burning body. Every day you go into work and that work revolves around death and what happens after a person passes away. It is just a job that is simply not for the faint of heart.

Jeannie Hale, an Assistant Funeral Manager says that the saddest part of the job is when deceased bodies do not have families.

“It’s so sad when families argue with each other and sometimes literally fight. But it is saddest when a person dies and we have them for weeks until a family member can be contacted,” Hale said.

So, on the daily what does a Funeral director do? Well, there are many things, but a few are, helping the family choose between cremation and burial, helping the family choose the casket or urn for the deceased, preparing obituary notices to announce the death, scheduling times for the wake and funeral, arranging for cremation, embalming the body for viewing, ensuring the services provided meet the wishes of the deceased, offering counseling to bereaved family and friends. It is a lot more than just receiving a body and putting it in a casket.

It is tough work, so how much does a funeral home director get paid? Well, it depends where you are, in West Virginia the pay is up to around 60 thousand dollars, but the national average is around 100 thousand dollars. There is also a labor shortage in this field so there are plenty of job opportunities.

Working at a funeral home affects your mental health, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.

“They may experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),’ NFDA says.

Working at a funeral home can be a scary time, it will make you feel so many emotions, but in the end its rewarding. You are helping families celebrate the lives of the ones they have lost. You get to make sure the remembrance of the person you hold a funeral for is peaceful and sweet. It may be a hard job, but it is definitely rewarding.