Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Personal Care and Service
Families sit down and go through the details: wording for an obituary, the casket, and when and where the service will be. The same person may remove the body from the place of death, oversee how remains are prepared—including embalming when it is needed—and fill out death certificates and burial permits. Cemeteries get called to open and close graves; flowers, times, and transport for mourners get lined up. On the day, caskets are closed and the funeral procession is led to the church or burial site. The mix of listening, tight scheduling, paperwork, and care of the dead is the usual fit.
Typical education: Associate’s Degree (2-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$55'010
Median Wage Market Position
$55'010
What you might do
- Meet families to plan the funeral
- Schedule funerals, burials, or cremations
- See that remains are prepared and cared for
- Fill out death certificates and burial permits
- Collect the body from the place of death
- Lead the funeral procession to the gravesite
Skills that matter
- Listening to families about funeral wishes
- Completing death certificates and burial permits
- Preparing and caring for the deceased
- Guiding families through casket and service choices
- Coordinating cemeteries, clergy, and transport
- Scheduling funerals, burials, and cremations
AI & the future of this role
Family consultations, body preparation, and in-person ceremony coordination rely on trust, discretion, and licensed hands-on care that tools struggle to replace. Scheduling or paperwork may be streamlined, yet demand for human funeral direction is likely to remain strong.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details