by Mark Schultz
September 2016
There is more to a mortician's job than simply making the funeral arrangements. These include other tasks such as arranging for clergy members to perform needed services, organizing pallbearers and informing them of their duties, providing information on funeral service options and products, and conducting the series of events to prepare the deceased for their funeral. They also perform a host of other duties such as offering counsel and comfort to bereaved family and friends and participating in community activities for funeral home promotion. While this may not seem like a pleasant job to many, it is an essential occupation to help the bereaved celebrate the life of their deceased loved one (see Table 1).
Table 1: Other Tasks of a Mortician |
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Source: 0*Net OnLine |
In Minnesota there is only one public educational institution that offers a bachelor's degree in Mortuary Science – the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. During the fall semester of each year the program admits between 30 and 36 new students, and for those who already have a bachelor's degree there are two "accelerated track" plans available. From the 2014 program information and national board exam statistics, as seen in Table 2, it seems that this program has a pretty solid outcome for their graduates.
Table 2: Mortuary Science Program Information and National Board Exam Statistics | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 Program Information | ||||
Number of New Students | Number of Graduates | Timely Graduation* | Percent Employed | Left Before Completion |
37 | 30 | 91% | 83% | 1 |
* Timely graduation = complete program in 1½ time designated program length | ||||
National Board Exam Statistics | ||||
Year and Degree Type | Number of Takers | Number Passed | Percent
Passed |
|
2012 Arts | 33 | 30 | 91% | |
2012 Science | 30 | 27 | 90% | |
2013 Arts | 38 | 35 | 92% | |
2013 Science | 40 | 39 | 98% | |
2014 Arts | 27 | 21 | 78% | |
2014 Science | 26 | 23 | 88% | |
Source: American Board of Funeral Service Education |
In Minnesota there are approximately 460 morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors in 487 funeral homes in 346 cities. There are an additional 540 funeral attendants in the state. With a median wage of $29.04 per hour, morticians make almost 54 percent more than the median wages across all occupations ($18.88) while funeral attendants, with a median wage of $13.08, make about 37 percent less (see Table 3).
Table 3: Employment and Wages for Mortuary Science in Minnesota | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Occupation | Employment | Wage Percentiles | ||||
10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||
Total, All Occupations | 2,772,240 | $9.38 | $12.40 | $18.88 | $29.60 | $44.78 |
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors | 460 | $17.09 | $23.54 | $29.04 | $35.45 | $41.31 |
Funeral Attendants | 540 | $9.85 | $11.00 | $13.08 | $15.82 | $18.30 |
Source: DEED Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) |
There is quite a bit of variation in the employment and wages for morticians depending on the area of the state. Not surprisingly the highest employment is in the Seven County Metro area. The highest median wages, however, are in the Southeast regions at $38.23, which is just shy of $10 higher than the median wage in the metro (see Table 4).
Table 4: Regional Employment and Wages | |||
---|---|---|---|
Region | Employment | Median Wage | Total Openings
2012-2022 |
Minnesota | 460 | $29.04 | 110 |
Seven County Metro | 220 | $25.56 | 30 |
Southeast | 20 | $38.23 | N/A |
Southwest | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Central | 30 | $33.94 | 10 |
Northeast | N/A | N/A | 10 |
Northwest | 10 | $22.83 | 10 |
Source: DEED Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) |
While morticians may not make up a large percentage of the jobs in Minnesota, they are, nonetheless, an important presence in the labor market and provide needed services for those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.