Occupation · SOC 39-4031
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Perform various tasks to arrange and direct individual funeral services, such as coordinating transportation of body to mortuary, interviewing family or other authorized person to arrange details, selecting pallbearers, aiding with the selection of officials for religious rites, and providing transportation for mourners.
Median wage
$49,800
$31,470–$85,940
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
25,700
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
41 mapped
Core skills
Social PerceptivenessActive ListeningService OrientationSpeakingCoordinationTime ManagementReading ComprehensionWriting
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageAdministrativeAdministration and ManagementPsychology
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareOffice suite softwareProject management softwareHuman resources softwareSpreadsheet software
Representative tasks
Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.Perform embalming duties, as necessary.Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.Remove deceased remains from place of death.Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.Plan, schedule, or coordinate funerals, burials, or cremations, arranging details such as floral delivery or the time and place of services.Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial.Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services.Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible.Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties.Receive or usher people to their seats for services.Participate in community activities for funeral home promotion or other purposes.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Deceased remains — assist with removal from place of death under direct supervisor guidance following established transport protocols.Death certificates and burial permits — gather required information under supervision to support completion of legal documentation at a licensed funeral home.Casket selection and service options — present available choices to grieving families with close oversight from an experienced funeral arranger.Basic embalming procedures — observe and assist a licensed embalmer in preparation of remains within a regulated preparation room setting.Funeral scheduling details — compile floral delivery information and service times following a supervisor-provided checklist for routine arrangements.Obituary notice content — collect and transcribe biographical information from family members using word processing software under direct direction.Cemetery contacts — place routine calls to schedule grave openings and closings following a standard communication script provided by senior staff.Customer relationship management software — enter family contact records and arrangement notes into a CRM database under step-by-step guidance.Funeral cortege logistics — participate in leading processions to burial sites as a supporting team member under the direction of a senior arranger.Active listening skills — apply attentive listening techniques during initial family consultations while shadowing an experienced funeral professional.
developing
Deceased remains preparation — oversee routine care and preparation procedures with reduced supervision in compliance with state licensing standards.Legal documentation — independently obtain and accurately complete death certificates and burial permits for standard cases at a licensed funeral facility.Embalming duties — perform standard embalming procedures on routine cases following established protocols in a regulated preparation room.Family consultation appointments — conduct arrangement conferences to discuss casket selection, service plans, and obituary wording with bereaved families.Funeral service coordination — plan and schedule services including floral delivery, clergy coordination, and facility setup for routine funeral events.Grief sensitivity — apply empathy and self-control when communicating service options and pricing to families in emotional distress.Office suite and spreadsheet software — maintain service records, track scheduling, and generate billing summaries using standard funeral home software tools.Cemetery and vendor coordination — contact cemeteries, crematories, and service vendors to confirm logistics for upcoming services without direct oversight.Casket closure and cortege leadership — close caskets and independently lead funeral corteges to churches or cemetery sites for routine services.Cremation arrangements — coordinate cremation scheduling, documentation, and family notifications following established crematory partnership procedures.
proficient
Remains preparation oversight — direct the full preparation and care workflow for all cases, including complex or non-routine situations, at a full-service funeral home.Non-routine legal documentation — resolve complications in death certificate or burial permit completion for complex cases involving coroner involvement or out-of-state transfer.Advanced embalming procedures — perform and evaluate embalming techniques for difficult cases, including trauma or extended-delay situations, in a licensed preparation room.Complex family arrangements — independently manage multi-service funeral arrangements involving diverse cultural, religious, or logistical requirements across a range of family needs.End-to-end funeral planning — autonomously coordinate all elements of funerals, burials, and cremations, including vendor contracts, staffing, and contingency adjustments.Judgment and decision making — assess ambiguous or sensitive family situations and apply critical thinking to resolve service disputes or special accommodation requests.Technology integration — leverage CRM, project management, and scheduling software to manage multiple concurrent cases with accuracy and regulatory compliance.Staff and vendor coordination — direct support staff, drivers, and contracted vendors across simultaneous funeral events to ensure seamless service delivery.Regulatory compliance management — interpret and apply state and federal funeral service regulations across all operational areas without external guidance.Grief support communication — counsel families through pre-arrangement, at-need, and aftercare phases using advanced active listening and oral expression skills.
advanced
Organizational service standards — establish funeral home policies and quality benchmarks governing remains care, family consultation, and documentation for all staff.Staff development program — design and lead training curricula for new and developing funeral arrangers covering embalming, legal compliance, and family communication.Strategic vendor and cemetery relationships — negotiate long-term agreements with cemeteries, crematories, and suppliers to secure favorable terms and service continuity.Regulatory and compliance leadership — represent the funeral home in licensing audits, state board reviews, and public safety inspections, driving systemic compliance improvements.Operational systems design — analyze and redesign end-to-end funeral arrangement workflows using systems analysis to reduce errors and improve family experience.Community and grief education — develop public outreach programs on pre-arrangement planning and grief resources that enhance the funeral home's community standing.Financial and business management — oversee budgeting, pricing strategy, and revenue planning for all service lines, applying data from spreadsheet and CRM analytics.Personnel resource management — recruit, evaluate, and develop licensed funeral directors, embalmers, and support staff to build a high-performing service team.Crisis and complex case leadership — lead organizational response to mass-fatality events, high-profile cases, or service failures, coordinating staff and external agencies.Industry and ethical standards leadership — advocate for profession-wide best practices in ethics, cultural competency, and consumer protection within industry and regulatory forums.
Also known as
75 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Aerospace Medical Service Apprentice, Flight and Operational Medical Technician (Air Force 4N031F)Funeral CounselorServices Apprentice (Air Force 3F131)ArrangerServices Journeyman (Air Force 3F151)Funeral Family Service AssistantPersonnel Retrieval and Processing Specialist (Marine Corps 0471)Aerospace Medical Service Journeyman, Aeromedical Education Technician (Air Force 4N051G)Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman, Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician (Air Force 4N071B)Funeral Prearrangement CounselorCertified MorticianAerospace Medical Service Apprentice, Independent Duty Medical Technician (Air Force 4N031C)Aerospace Medical Service Helper, Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician (Air Force 4N011B)Aerospace Medical Service Helper, National Registry Paramedic (Air Force 4N011H)Aerospace Medical Service Helper, Flight and Operational Medical Technician (Air Force 4N011F)Health Services Management Superintendent (Air Force 4A091)MorticianFuneral PlannerHealth Services Management Craftsman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A071S)Mortuary Affairs Specialist (Army 92M)Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman, Flight and Operational Medical Technician (Air Force 4N071F)Aerospace Medical Service Helper (Air Force 4N011)Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman, National Registry Paramedic (Air Force 4N071H)Services (Air Force 3F1X1)Health Services Management Helper (Air Force 4A011)Cemetery ManagerAerospace Medical Service Journeyman, Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician (Air Force 4N051B)Aerospace Medical Service Helper, Independent Duty Medical Technician (Air Force 4N011C)Aerospace Medical Service Apprentice, Aeromedical Education Technician (Air Force 4N031G)Aerospace Medical Service Craftsman, Aeromedical Education Technician (Air Force 4N071G)Funeral Planning CounselorHealth Services Management Journeyman (Air Force 4A051)Funeral DirectorDirector, FuneralLicensed EmbalmerAerospace Medical Service Journeyman, Independent Duty Medical Technician (Air Force 4N051C)Aerospace Medical Service Apprentice, Allergy/Immunization Technician (Air Force 4N031D)Licensed Funeral DirectorHospital Corpsman (Navy HM)Fatality Management Officer (Marine Corps 0408)