Some people might get the impression that the funeral industry is a morbid and depressing area to work in. However, this career can be rewarding as well as fulfilling to those with the social skills and emotional intelligence to comfort mourners. Those in this field make it their mission to celebrate life rather than focus on tragedy and death. To honor the legacy of a person rather than their loss. With a consistent demand for mortuary services, you may find yourself faced with an unexpected calling.
Funeral Service Industry Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be a projected addition of 2,000 jobs in the funeral industry from 2018-2028. Additionally, the New York and New Jersey metropolitan areas are among the top paying areas for this field with the average annual salary reaching a whopping $109,320 in 2018. To offer a comparison, the annual average salary for all occupations in the NY/NJ metro area was calculated to be $64,550 in 2018.
Overview of Funeral Service Program
In as little as two years, you can receive an associate degree in funeral service at Eastwick College’s Hackensack campus. Eastwick’s unique program in funeral service allows students to learn how to restore bodies through embalming and other procedures in fully equipped laboratory classrooms. Students also leave our program prepared for other aspects of the funeral industry including funeral directing, funeral arrangement, and even positions in a medical examiner’s office.
Eastwick’s funeral service associate degree program aims to educate students in every phase of the profession. The goal of this program is to prepare each student for entering the workforce as a funeral service intern and to provide a quality curriculum at the associate degree level.