What do you think of the results?

Should the wages for employees be higher?

If the wages keep dropping will this keep others from wanting to join the industry?

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Posted by:

Ryan Thogmartin (Huppstiverson)
Connecting Directors, Co-Founder

I think the results are pretty accurate.

I feel that the decline in employee pay is caused by a number of different things (ex: rise in health care, gases prices) these things effect the funeral home and its bottom line.

I would say these findings are fairly accurate. I feel that salaries will increase in the near future, due to the fact that finding quality licensed individuals will be hard pressed. I have been licensed for over 18 years (non owner). Salaries have nearly doubled during this time as an apprentice in my area.

Its the same thing for any other job if you don't like the pay ask for a raise or find another occupation.  You will make a comfortable living if you work for somebody else. The only thing that doesn't make alot of sense to me is that Preneed people make more than a FD/EMB. With basicly no training other than learning how to sell. So for some people in the funeral business that might be away to augment your salary if you want to make more money.

I will leave eveybody with one question to ask themselves.  What would you consider alot of money? Then ask some one else the same question. You will find that the answer will vary according to who you ask. Someone might consider that you might make too much money for what you do.   

I do feel that wages are lower than I expected when I entered the funeral business. I made a mid-life career change and so far I am finding that wages, especially for newly licensed fd/emb like myself, are lower than I expected. I am having a tough time supporting myself and my two daughters on my $34k per year (no health insurance either). But from what I have been told, that is pretty good for this area. Had I known I probably would have pursued something more lucrative before I spent so much on schooling. With the push to require a bachelors degree for licensure, wages will certainly have to go up to make it worthwhile.