Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers

Salary Overview

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Key Skills

Knowledge Areas

What They Do

• Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.
• Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.
• Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.
• Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
• Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
• Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
• Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
• Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.

Tools & Technology

★ = Hot Technology (in-demand)

Education Requirements

Typical entry-level education: Associate's Degree

Related Careers

Careers with the highest skill compatibility from Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers.

A Day in the Life

A typical day begins with reviewing the schedule of upcoming visitations, funerals, and cremation services, coordinating with clergy, florists, and cemetery personnel. Funeral directors meet with grieving families to discuss wishes for the service, select caskets or urns, and plan every detail from music to obituary wording. Embalming and body preparation work is performed in the morning or as needed, following strict health and safety protocols. Administrative tasks include completing death certificates and permits, coordinating with insurance companies, and managing billing. Directors oversee the setup of viewing rooms, ensuring flower arrangements, photographs, and personal effects are properly displayed. During services, they manage the flow of events from the funeral ceremony through the procession to the graveside commitment. After-hours calls are common, as deaths occur at any time and families need immediate guidance on next steps. Between services, directors maintain the funeral home facility, manage staff, and handle marketing and community outreach efforts.

Work Environment

Funeral homes serve as both workplace and public-facing venue, combining office spaces, preparation rooms, chapels, and visitation parlors in one facility. The atmosphere is intentionally calm, quiet, and dignified, maintained through careful attention to décor, lighting, and cleanliness. Preparation rooms contain specialized equipment for embalming and cosmetic restoration, requiring compliance with OSHA regulations for chemical handling. Directors dress professionally at all times and maintain a composed, empathetic demeanor even during emotionally intense interactions. Work hours are irregular and often long, including evenings and weekends for visitations and services, with on-call responsibilities overnight. The emotional weight of working with bereaved families daily requires strong personal coping mechanisms and self-care practices. Physical demands include standing for extended periods, lifting and transferring remains, and setting up heavy equipment for services. Many funeral homes are family-owned businesses with close-knit staff environments, though corporate consolidation is creating larger multi-location operations.

Career Path & Advancement

Most states require a degree in mortuary science from an accredited program, typically a two-year associate degree though some pursue a four-year bachelor's degree. Students complete coursework in anatomy, embalming techniques, restorative art, funeral service law, and business management. A supervised apprenticeship or internship of one to three years under a licensed funeral director is required in most states before licensure. Passing the National Board Examination administered by The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards is necessary for licensure. Entry-level funeral directors assist with services and administrative duties while building client relationships in the community. Mid-career professionals may become managing directors overseeing all operations at a funeral home. Senior professionals often purchase or inherit funeral home businesses, becoming owner-operators who build multi-generational family enterprises. Some transition into grief counseling, mortuary science education, or consulting roles for funeral industry organizations.

Specializations

Embalming specialists focus on the preservation and cosmetic restoration of remains, developing advanced reconstruction skills for challenging cases. Cremation service directors specialize in the growing cremation segment, managing crematories and designing meaningful memorial services without traditional burial. Green funeral specialists focus on environmentally sustainable practices including natural burials, biodegradable caskets, and conservation cemetery partnerships. Pre-need counselors work with living individuals to plan and fund their funeral arrangements in advance, combining sales skills with sensitivity. Veterans funeral service specialists coordinate military honors, flag ceremonies, and VA burial benefits for deceased service members. Grief support coordinators extend the funeral home's services beyond the ceremony, facilitating bereavement groups and connecting families with mental health resources. Some funeral directors specialize in serving specific cultural or religious communities, mastering the rituals and traditions of particular faiths. Pet funeral and cremation services represent a growing niche, serving families who seek dignified memorial options for companion animals.

Pros & Cons

Industry Insight

Cremation rates have surpassed traditional burial nationwide, fundamentally shifting how funeral homes structure their services and revenue models. Personalization of memorial services continues to grow, with families requesting unique celebrations of life rather than standardized funeral formats. Technology is transforming the industry through livestreamed services, digital memorial websites, online obituaries, and virtual planning consultations. The aging Baby Boomer generation is expected to increase demand for funeral services significantly over the next two decades. Corporate consolidation by companies like Service Corporation International continues, though independent family-owned homes remain the industry majority. Green and eco-friendly burial options are gaining market share as environmental consciousness influences end-of-life decisions. Pre-need funeral planning and insurance products represent a growing revenue stream for proactive funeral homes. The profession faces a shortage of licensed funeral directors in rural areas, creating opportunities for new graduates willing to serve smaller communities.