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Funeral Services
Service Corporation International, Carriage Services, Park Lawn Corporation
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
This job combines customer service, paperwork, and hands-on coordination for funerals, burials, and memorials. Funeral arrangers help grieving families make decisions, file legal documents, and keep the service moving on schedule. The tradeoff is that the work is deeply personal and time-sensitive: you have to stay calm, organized, and compassionate while handling details that cannot be missed.
Also known as Funeral DirectorFuneral Service DirectorLicensed Funeral DirectorFuneral ArrangerMortician
Median Salary
$49,800
Mean $56,340
U.S. Workforce
~26K
3.2K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+3.1%
27.5K to 28.4K
Entry Education
Associate's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers sits in the Business category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~26K workers, with a median annual pay of $49,800 and roughly 3.2K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 27.5 K in 2024 to 28.4K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Associate's degree in mortuary science, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Funeral Attendant and can progress toward Funeral Home Manager / Owner. High-value skills usually include Funeral Home Case Management Software, CRM & Scheduling Systems, Vital Records, Death Certificates & Burial Permit Systems, and Microsoft Outlook, Excel & Calendar Tools, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness, and Service Orientation.
Core Responsibilities
- Meet with families to plan the funeral or memorial service and explain their options.
- Collect the information needed for death certificates, burial permits, and other official forms.
- Coordinate with cemeteries, clergy, drivers, and vendors so everyone is in the right place at the right time.
- Set up the chapel or viewing area with the casket, flowers, lighting, seating, and other details.
Keep exploring: more Business careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Meet with families to plan the funeral or memorial service and explain their options.
02 Collect the information needed for death certificates, burial permits, and other official forms.
03 Coordinate with cemeteries, clergy, drivers, and vendors so everyone is in the right place at the right time.
04 Set up the chapel or viewing area with the casket, flowers, lighting, seating, and other details.
05 Arrange transportation for the deceased, family members, and items such as flowers or equipment between locations.
06 Support mourners during the service, answer questions, and keep the schedule from running behind.
Industries That Hire
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Cemetery and Crematory Services
Everstory Partners, StoneMor, Mount Pleasant Group
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Hospice and Bereavement Care
VITAS Healthcare, Gentiva, AccentCare
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Death Care Product Manufacturing
Batesville, Matthews International, Wilbert Funeral Services
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Religious and Faith-Based Services
Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army, Archdiocese of New York
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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You can enter the field without years of prior experience; the usual starting point is an associate's degree, and BLS lists no work experience as a requirement.
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Pay is solid for a service-oriented job, with a $49.8K median and $56.34K mean annual wage.
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Demand is steady rather than speculative: the occupation is projected to add about 3.1% more jobs over the decade, with roughly 3.2K openings a year from growth and replacement needs.
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The work is varied, mixing family meetings, paperwork, scheduling, and hands-on service setup instead of the same task all day.
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If you are calm under pressure, this is a job where good communication and organization are visible to clients and immediately matter.
Challenges
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The emotional load is real: you work around death and grief every day and still have to stay composed for families who are in distress.
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Growth is modest, with employment rising only about 0.8K over 10 years, so a lot of openings will come from people leaving the field rather than new expansion.
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The job is not very remote-friendly because it requires being on site for transfers, service setup, and family meetings.
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Long-term on-the-job training and licensing can slow down your path to full independence, especially if you want to work in multiple states.
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Career advancement can be limited in smaller funeral homes, where the next step up may depend on ownership, retirement, or moving into management.
Career Progression
Funeral Attendant
0-2 years
$30K-$38K
You help with transport, setup, cleaning, and basic support tasks while learning how a funeral home runs.
Apprentice Funeral Director
1-3 years
$38K-$47K
You begin handling family paperwork, scheduling, and service coordination under close supervision.
Mortician / Funeral Arranger THIS ROLE
3-8 years
$48K-$62K
You manage most client meetings, service planning, legal documents, and day-of coordination for a case.
Senior Funeral Director / Embalmer
8-15 years
$62K-$80K
You handle more complex arrangements, train newer staff, and take responsibility for difficult or high-profile cases.
Funeral Home Manager / Owner
15+ years
$80K-$105K
You oversee staffing, compliance, pricing, scheduling, and the business side of the funeral home.
Education Paths
Associate's degree in mortuary science
The standard route, followed by 73.23% of workers in this occupation, and it usually pairs classroom study with long-term on-the-job training.
High school diploma plus apprenticeship and licensure
A smaller path, used by 15.28% of workers, but it still typically requires supervised training and state licensing before you can work independently.
Bachelor's degree in mortuary science, business, or a related field
An alternative route taken by 11.24% of workers, often for people who want to move toward management, ownership, or broader operations work.
State-approved funeral service certificate or licensing program
A practical alternative for people who want a shorter, job-focused route before completing required exams and supervised training.
Key Skills
Technical
Funeral Home Case Management Software, CRM & Scheduling Systems 82%
Vital Records, Death Certificates & Burial Permit Systems 80%
Microsoft Outlook, Excel & Calendar Tools 78%
Cemetery Records, Cremation Tracking & Transport Coordination Software 75%
Chapel Audio-Visual, Lighting & Presentation Equipment 70%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationSpeakingCoordinationTime Management Job Outlook and Trends
+3.1%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
3.2K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 27.5K to 28.4 K over the next decade, representing 3.1% growth. Around 3.2 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.