I've been to a few funerals in the past, and the church or the graveyard usually had a big turnout.

Until I saw one funeral service nearby with only less than ten people present.

I asked myself how I would feel at my own funeral if only less than ten people turned up.

Yeah, probably crap, to be honest. I would expect at least 30 people to show up!

Then I wondered if there's a service available for making the crowd a little bigger for specific occasions.

To my surprise, it does exist, and there's a market for it!

Why is there a market for mourners?

Professional Mourners (aka moirologists) are hired by the family hosting the funeral for two reasons.

1. To help increase the attendance of the funeral.
2. Help loved ones cope with a loss and show support for the dead.

The clients that you're dealing with our family members that may not have many people attending for various reasons.

Relatives may be unavailable to visit due to demographic reasons, or the family is small and may want a decent number of visitors so they would have a happier send-off.

Job Requirements

Although you don't need qualifications to start this side hustle, you will need to have a few skills to make this work.

1. Be able to cry on demand (which is hard for many people but comes naturally for others)
2. Be comfortable being in an environment full of people with negative emotions such as sadness, anger or guilt
3. Be comfortable with public speaking if needed
4. Be prepared to give a hug if necessary

So, in a nutshell, it's really an acting job, just not for a movie or a theatre.

How much can you earn?

The pay range from $35 to $100 per hour, depending on the country and the demand.

Some wealthy families in China pay up to $500 per hour, depending on the requirements of the individual.

You have to keep in mind countries like China may pay more compared to opportunities in the USA. For instance, funerals in Asian countries can last longer compared to Western countries like the US or UK.

Unfortunately, this kind of side gig can't give you a consistent income even if you're signed up to websites that offer this gig, as it's not as in demand compared to, say, working as a freelance writer.

Also, getting paid at the highest rate means you're a professional actor with good experience, so if you're starting out, don't expect a solid rate.

Where to get these gigs?

Here lies the problem.

There's no actual website where you can get this weird side hustle.

It's not like you can go to Craigslist and look for the section under mourning jobs.

I even tried AI (Bingchat) to see if there's a website for it, as I can't find it using Google.

This is their response.

So it looks like this is something that requires you to have contacts in the acting and funeral industry.

Conclusion

Although I won't recommend this side hustle to anyone if you have the acting skills needed to become a professional mourner, this might be a nice gig you can occasionally do.

Just make sure you start making contact within the industry and start getting experience/testimonials to increase your options.

Happy mourning! 😬

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