
How many people work in the funeral industry in the US?
The U.S. Census Bureau Economic Census also reports that the funeral industry employs 141,002 people (Funeral Homes and Funeral Services (108,385; Cemeteries and Crematories: 32,617). Still Family Owned: Approximately 89.2% of funeral homes in the United States are privately owned by families or individuals.
What percentage of funeral homes are privately owned?
Approximately 89.2% of funeral homes in the United States are privately owned by families or individuals. The remaining 10.8% are owned by publicly-traded corporations. (Service Corporation International (SCI) owns approximately 10.8% and Carriage Services Inc. and StoneMor Partners own approximately 1% each). 2
Are there any black owned and operated funeral homes?
In the United States there is a rich cultural heritage of black owned and operated funeral homes. Indeed black funeral parlors were some of the first businesses to be set up by African-Americans after the abolition of slavery.
How much does a funeral director charge in the US?
In 2017, the basic services fee charged by a funeral home in the United States was $2,100. This fee is not something that can be declined. (National Funeral Directors Association) #8. The median cost to move the remains of a loved one to a funeral home in the U.S. is $325.

How many funerals are there per year in the US?
From the Service Corporation International (SCI) financial reports we can find what they call “Funeral Services Performed”. In 2019 they reported that number as 319,616 and in 2020 they reported that number as 364,312.
Who owns the most funeral homes in the United States?
Service Corporation InternationalThree large corporations now own 15% of the 23,000 homes in the funeral home industry. Service Corporation International (SCI), based in Houston, is the largest of the three, followed by Loewen Group Inc., based in Vancouver, Canada and Philadelphia, and Stewart Enterprises Inc., based in New Orleans.
What's the longest a funeral home hold a body?
Families who opted for a burial can expect the body to remain at a mortuary for around 4-6 weeks at the most, but those who have chosen cremation can benefit from more flexibility. No matter what path you're thinking of taking, you shouldn't delay speaking to your local funeral service providers.
Who makes the most money in a funeral home?
High Paying Funeral Professional JobsFuneral Director. Salary range: $44,500-$59,000 per year. ... Embalmer. Salary range: $39,000-$55,000 per year. ... Funeral Arranger. Salary range: $33,000-$43,500 per year. ... Crematory Operator. Salary range: $30,000-$37,500 per year. ... Funeral Attendant. ... Cemetery Caretaker.
Do you make a lot of money owning a funeral home?
On average, any funeral home can expect a mid-range gross profit margin of anywhere between 30 and 60 percent for each service, and an overall business profit margin between 6 and 9 percent.
Are funeral Directors rich?
#2: They aren't rich, either. As strange as it sounds, this is far from the truth. Many funeral homes lose money everyday. In fact, recent studies from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics list embalming as one of the 15 disappearing middle class jobs.
Why do they cover the legs in a casket?
If someone donated their skin tissue after death, this is usually taken from the lower half of the body. This means the body will be preserved in a special plastic undergarment to protect it from leaking into the casket. To cover this, the lower half will not be exposed at the funeral viewing.
How long does a casket last in the ground?
If the coffin is sealed in a very wet, heavy clay ground, the body tends to last longer because the air is not getting to the deceased. If the ground is light, dry soil, decomposition is quicker. Generally speaking, a body takes 10 or 15 years to decompose to a skeleton.
Do funeral homes freeze bodies?
Refrigeration is often employed when there will be no viewing, wake, or visitation, or if the casket will remain closed during the service (as many funeral homes require that the body be embalmed if it is to be on display).
How much do morticians make an hour?
The average pay for a Mortician is £38,801 a year and £19 an hour in London, United Kingdom.
How do they bury people in winter?
Jackhammer: The most common tool is to use a jackhammer to break through the upper layers of frost. This takes longer than digging a traditional grave, but it's effective and affordable.
How long does it take to embalm a body?
around two hoursHow long does it take? The process takes around two hours to complete, including washing and drying the hair and body of the person who has died. The embalmed body is also carefully massaged to relax muscles and joints tensed by rigor mortis.
What is the largest funeral company in the US?
Service Corporation InternationalTypePublicBrandsDignity Memorial, National Cremation, Advantage, Funeraria Del Angel, Neptune SocietyRevenueUS$4,143 million (2021)Net incomeUS$803 million (2021)Total assetsUS$15,691 million (2021)10 more rows
How much money does the funeral industry make a year?
The U.S funeral market is currently estimated to be worth around $20 billion annually, with 2.4 million funerals taking place each year.
How big is the funeral home industry?
Top 5 Things to Know About the Funeral Home Industry Industry size: Marketdata estimates that the U.S. death care industry was worth $20.2 billion in 2021, with receipts up 8.4% from 2019. Approximately $15.6 billion of this was generated by funeral homes. Revenues grew another 7.7% in 2021 to $21.7 billion.
Can you buy stock in funeral homes?
Other big names in funeral home stocks are Carriage Services (NYSE: CSV), Hillenbrand (NYSE: HI), Matthews International Corp (NASDAQ: MATW), and StoneMor Partners (NYSE: STON). These stocks are available on most major exchanges and are bought and sold the same as any other type of stock.
How do we verify information at a funeral home?
We verify the information by physically visiting and working with the funeral home and staff. We communicate with the state board that the funeral home resides in for additional assistance and reliability.
Do funeral homes have to be listed in the Red Book?
In order to be listed and recognized as a funeral home in The Red Book funeral home directory, the funeral home has to be in good standing with their respective state board of licensing. This ensures reliability and trust by the public. Please do not request to be listed if you are unable to secure your funeral practitioner license.
How much does a funeral cost?
The national median cost of a funeral with viewing and burial for calendar year 2019 was $7,640. If a vault is included, something that is typically required by a cemetery, the median cost is $9,135. The cost does not take into account cemetery, monument or marker costs or miscellaneous cash-advance charges, such as for flowers or an obituary.
How much is the NFDA 2020 cremation report?
The report is a free to members and $175 for nonmembers. Funeral professionals who have questions about the report or placing an order can call NFDA at 800-228-6332.
How do we verify information at a funeral home?from redbookfuneraldirectory.com
We verify the information by physically visiting and working with the funeral home and staff. We communicate with the state board that the funeral home resides in for additional assistance and reliability.
Do funeral homes have to be listed in the Red Book?from redbookfuneraldirectory.com
In order to be listed and recognized as a funeral home in The Red Book funeral home directory, the funeral home has to be in good standing with their respective state board of licensing. This ensures reliability and trust by the public. Please do not request to be listed if you are unable to secure your funeral practitioner license.
What are African American funeral homes?
African – American Funeral Homes in the USA. In the United States there is a rich cultural heritage of black owned and operated funeral homes. Indeed black funeral parlors were some of the first businesses to be set up by African-Americans after the abolition of slavery.
Where is the National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association located?
The National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association (NFD&MA) is based in Georgia and has been in existence since 1924. The NFD&MA has chapters across the U.S, Caribbean and South Africa.
Is there a black funeral home?
Many African-American owned and operated funeral homes will openly acknowledge that they are a “black funeral home”, and obviously there are certain areas in the United States where it is expected that black funeral homes operate.
How much money did funeral homes make in 2012?
In 2012, funeral homes generated $13 billion in revenues. Another $3.3 billion was generated by crematories and cemeteries within the industry. (National Funeral Directors Association) #6. About 108,000 people are employed in the United States by the funeral industry each year.
How much does it cost to move a body to a funeral home?
The median cost to move the remains of a loved one to a funeral home in the U.S. is $325. Embalming comes with a $725 media charge. With all other costs, the average price of a funeral with a viewing and burial is over $7,300. (National Funeral Directors Association)
Why is advanced funeral planning important?
That is why the funeral industry is looking at several different ways to stop this trend. Advanced funeral planning allows families to prepay for services to alleviate burdens on other family members. Increased opportunities for personalization are happening, as are environmentally friendly options that limit embalming.
What has hurt the funeral industry?
What has hurt the funeral industry, beyond the bad PR of high-priced mark-ups on needed items, is the fact that families are earning less now than they did in previous generations. There just isn’t enough money to afford those traditional final expenses of a wake, service, and burial. When a family can spend $1,000 on a cremation instead of $10,000 on a funeral, that seems to be an easy decision to make.
Why do people choose to be cremated?
About 42% of people choose to be cremated because of the costs involved with a standard funeral in the United States. (Forbes) #11. The economic activity generated by the funeral industry contributes a total of $20 billion to the U.S. economy each year. (Forbes)
How many people do not have a will?
Over 50% of people in the United States do not have a will. That means there are over $1 billion in life insurance benefits that remain unclaimed because the information was forgotten about, misplaced, or not properly communicated to others. (Forbes) #16.
Which state has the highest cremation rate?
Nevada has the highest rate of cremation in the United States, with 73% of people opting for it. Mississippi has the lowest rate of cremation, at just 13%. (PBS) #23. In 2010, 33% of people said that they chose cremation because of the cost of a standard funeral. In 1990, just 19% of people had the same perspective.
How many funeral homes are owned by corporations?
Eighty-nine percent of funeral homes in the U.S. are owned by individuals, families, or closely held private corporations. The remaining 11 percent are owned by corporations whose stock is publicly traded.
How much does a funeral cost?
A funeral is one of the most expensive events in one’s life: the average cost of a traditional funeral is close to $7,000. If you add flowers, obituary notices, acknowledgment cards, burial liners or vaults and special transportation, your costs go up.1 When a loved one dies, grieving family members and friends often are confronted with dozens of decisions about the funeral – all of which must be made quickly and often under great emotional duress.2 When emotions are high, it can be hard to remember that the cost of a funeral is not a measure of feelings for the deceased. It’s not unusual for a family to spend $10,000 for a funeral today.1 To help relieve their families of some of these decisions, an increasing number of people are planning their own funerals, designating their funeral preferences, and sometimes even paying for them in advance. They see funeral planning as an extension of will and estate planning. By thinking ahead individuals can make informed and thoughtful decisions about funeral arrangements.2
What do funeral companies sell?
Companies in the industry sell products like caskets, burial vaults, burial garments, flowers, burial rights, memorial stones, and cremation urns. Services include body preparation, transportation, facility rental for wakes and memorial services, opening and closing burial plots, and cremation. Caskets are the largest cost item for most funerals. National suppliers include Batesville Casket, Aurora Casket, and Matthews International. Most funeral homes conduct fewer than 100 funerals a year and have a large investment in physical assets that are often idle.7
What is the funeral rule?
The Funeral Rule, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires funeral directors to give you itemized prices in person and, if you ask, over the phone. The Rule also requires funeral directors to give you other information about their goods and services. For example, if you ask about funeral arrangements in person, the funeral home must give you a written price list to keep that shows the goods and services the home offers. If you want to buy a casket or outer burial container, the funeral provider must show you descriptions of the available selections and the prices before actually showing you the caskets.
Why do people choose funeral homes?
In 2004, the National Funeral Directors Association found that the most frequently chosen reason for selecting a funeral home was previous service to the family (chosen by 51.7% of respondents), followed by location (50.9%), reputation (50.4%), attendance at other funerals (24.8%), prepaid/prearranged funeral (22.1%), facilities (19.8%), personal recommendation (19.2%), price (8.8%) and advertising (3.4%).10 This demonstrates that for the funeral home the best marketing tool is personal relationships rather than traditional advertising.11
What do baby boomers see in funerals?
Baby boomers see funerals as a valuable part of the grieving process and are seeking ways to make them meaningful .
Why is funeral service green?
Being green in funeral service is a natural consequence of today’s American eco-consciousness. Consumer lifestyles and values, whether environmental, spiritual, philosophical or conservation oriented, are reflected in consumer attitudes toward products and services in the market and affect decision making. This includes attitudes toward death and funerals. Green funeral choices are expected to grow in popularity in the U.S. as this eco-consciousness grows.
