Out of all the careers i considered during High School the one that sticks out to me the most was a Mortician, known now as a Funeral Service Worker. I was a goth teen and the thought of a fairly decent living in a edgy environment was for some reason very appealing at the time. Looking back I want to see just how possible and how lucrative this profession would have been.

Position: Mortician

Typical Duties: Organizing and managing the details of funeral services. This involves washing/prepping bodies and preparing them for final viewing.

Median Salary: Managers can expect to earn $74200 while workers can expect around $54000

Entry Level Salary: Around $50000

On- the-job training: While this position requires an associates degree much of the work of becoming an official licensed mortician is the supervised training, which usually lasts 1-3 years, that assistants have to go through.

Job outlook: Employment in this field is expected to grow 4% from 2020-2030, but despite limited growth, about 4,000 openings for funeral service workers are projected each year. Many of these positions will be filled early in the decade as a response to the chronic understaffing as a a result of the covid-19 pandemic.

Marginal Revenue Productivity: While many may not think about funeral services (until they have to) it is an industry in constant demand. Many states in America require bodies to be processed through an accredited mortician before anything can be done with it, whether it be internment or cremation. Therefore while not attractive the funeral industry is a constant.

Compensating Differences: For many people the handling of dead bodies is an uncomfortable situation. And the salary of a mortician, when looking at the amount of education/training required, is an enticing prospect for a job that is so discomforting to many.

Reference:

Funeral Service Workers : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021, September 13). BLS. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/funeral-service-occupations.htm#tab-4

response (please provide references):

• In your opinion, is the wage differential between median pay and this occupation or profession justified?
• What surprises you about this analysis?
• Given the information shared above, would you be interested in this position or recommend this position to a friend, child, colleague, or spouse?