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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.
Business skills. Knowledge of financial statements and the ability to run a funeral home efficiently and profitably are important for funeral directors and managers.
Compassion. Death is a delicate and emotional matter. Funeral service workers must be able to treat clients with care and sympathy in their time of loss.
Interpersonal skills. Funeral service workers should have good interpersonal skills. When speaking with families, for example, they must be tactful and able to explain and discuss all matters about services provided.
Time-management skills. Funeral service workers must be able to handle numerous tasks for multiple customers, often over a short timeframe.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
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97% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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97% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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95% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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92% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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92% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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90% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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89% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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89% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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80% | Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction. | |
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79% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. | |
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79% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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78% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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73% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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71% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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68% | Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
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100% | Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law. | |
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72% | Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
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89% | Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service. | |
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72% | Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. | |
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61% | Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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75% | Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. | |
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72% | Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. | |
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72% | Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. | |
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69% | Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. | |
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66% | Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
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68% | Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
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100% | Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? | |
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96% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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96% | Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job? | |
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94% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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94% | Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? | |
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94% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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93% | Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? | |
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92% | Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals? | |
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91% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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89% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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87% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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85% | In an Enclosed Vehicle or Equipment - How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or equipment (e.g., car)? | |
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84% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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80% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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79% | Exposed to Disease or Infections - How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections? | |
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78% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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74% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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73% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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72% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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72% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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70% | Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos? | |
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67% | Exposed to Hazardous Conditions - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions? | |
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67% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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81% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
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95% | Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. | |
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93% | Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients. | |
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92% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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90% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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88% | Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time. | |
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84% | Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. | |
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82% | Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. | |
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81% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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77% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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77% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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76% | Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics. | |
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76% | Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks. | |
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75% | Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft. | |
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74% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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74% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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74% | Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others. | |
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74% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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71% | Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others. | |
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71% | Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork. | |
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71% | Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. | |
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70% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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68% | Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance. | |
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67% | Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used. | |
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66% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
Funeral service workers organize and manage the details of a ceremony honoring a deceased person.
Funeral service workers typically do the following:
Funeral service workers help to determine the locations, dates, and times of visitations (wakes), funerals or memorial services, burials, and cremations. They handle other details as well, such as helping the family decide whether the body should be buried, entombed, or cremated. This decision is critical because funeral practices vary among cultures and religions.
Most funeral service workers attend to the administrative aspects of a person’s death, including submitting papers to state officials to receive a death certificate. They also may help resolve insurance claims, apply for funeral benefits, or notify the Social Security Administration or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of the death.
Many funeral service workers help clients who wish to plan their own funerals in advance, to ensure that their needs are met and to ease the planning burden on surviving family members.
Funeral service workers also may provide information and resources, such as support groups, to help grieving friends and family.
The following are examples of types of funeral service workers:
Funeral home managers oversee the general operations of a funeral home business. They perform a variety of duties, such as planning and allocating the resources of the funeral home, managing staff, and handling marketing and public relations.
Morticians and funeral arrangers (also known as funeral directors or, historically, undertakers) plan the details of a funeral. They often prepare obituaries and arrange for pallbearers and clergy services. If a burial is chosen, they schedule the opening and closing of a grave with a representative of the cemetery. If cremation is chosen, they coordinate the process with the crematory. (Data covering workers who perform cremations are provided in a separate occupation not covered in detail: crematory operators.)
Morticians and funeral arrangers also prepare the sites of all services and provide transportation for the deceased and mourners. In addition, they arrange the shipment of bodies out of state or out of country for final disposition. (Data covering workers who may assist with these tasks are provided in a separate occupation not covered in detail: funeral attendant.)
Finally, these workers handle administrative duties. For example, they often apply for the transfer of any pensions, insurance policies, or annuities on behalf of survivors.
Many morticians and funeral arrangers embalm bodies. Embalming is a cosmetic and temporary preservative process through which the body is prepared for a viewing by family and friends of the deceased. (Data covering those who specialize in this work are provided in a separate occupation not covered in detail: embalmers.)
Funeral home managers held about 36,400 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of funeral home managers were as follows:
| Self-employed workers | 61% |
| Death care services | 37 |
Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers held about 24,500 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers were as follows:
| Death care services | 97% |
| Self-employed workers | 1 |
Funeral services traditionally take place in a house of worship, in a funeral home, or at a gravesite or crematory. However, some families prefer to hold the service in their home or in a social center.
Funeral service workers typically perform their duties in a funeral home. Workers also may operate a merchandise display room, crematory, or cemetery, which may be on the funeral home premises. The work is often stressful, because workers must arrange the various details of a funeral within 24 to 72 hours of a death. In addition, they may be responsible for managing multiple funerals on the same day.
Although workers may come into contact with bodies that have contagious diseases, the work is not dangerous if proper safety and health regulations are followed. Those working in crematories are exposed to high temperatures and must wear appropriate protective clothing.
Most funeral service workers are employed full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They are often on call; irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, are common.
An associate’s degree in a funeral service or mortuary science education program is the education typically required to become a funeral service worker. Most employers require applicants to be 21 years old, have at least 2 years of formal postsecondary education, have supervised training, and pass a state licensing exam.
An associate’s degree in a funeral service or mortuary science education program is typically required for all funeral service workers to enter the occupation. Courses usually cover topics such as ethics, grief counseling, funeral service, and business law. Accredited programs also include courses in embalming and restorative techniques.
The American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) accredits funeral service and mortuary science programs, most of which offer a 2-year associate’s degree at community colleges. Some programs offer a bachelor’s degree.
Although an associate’s degree is typically required, some employers prefer applicants to have a bachelor’s degree. Common fields of degree include mortuary science, psychology, and business.
High school students can prepare to become a funeral service worker by taking classes in biology, chemistry, business, and public speaking.
Students may gain relevant experience working part-time or summer jobs in a funeral home.
Those studying to be morticians and funeral arrangers must complete training, usually lasting 1 to 3 years, under the direction of a licensed funeral director or manager. The training, sometimes called an internship or an apprenticeship, may be completed before, during, or after graduating from a funeral service or mortuary science program and passing a national board exam.
Most states and Washington, DC, require workers to be licensed. An exception is Colorado, which offers a voluntary certification program. Although licensing laws and examinations vary by state, most applicants must meet the following criteria:
Working in multiple states requires multiple licenses. For specific requirements, contact each applicable state licensing board.
Most states require funeral directors to earn continuing education credits to keep their licenses.
The Cremation Association of North America (CANA), International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA), and the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) offer crematory certification designations. Many states require certification for those who will perform cremations. For specific requirements, contact your state board or the relevant professional organizations.
Funeral home managers typically have multiple years of experience working as a funeral director or mortician before becoming managers.
Overall employment of funeral service workers is projected to grow 3 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 5,700 openings for funeral service workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Funeral service workers will be needed to assist the growing number of people prearranging end-of-life services. This demand will be constrained by consumers increasingly preferring cremation, which costs less and requires fewer workers than do traditional funeral arrangements. However, since most cremations still involve a memorial service or funeral, funeral home managers are expected to be needed to guide families and loved ones through the death care process and to plan end-of-life events.
For more information about funeral service workers, including accredited mortuary science programs, visit
National Funeral Directors Association
For scholarships and educational programs in funeral service and mortuary science, visit
American Board of Funeral Service Education
National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc.
For information about crematories, visit
Cremation Association of North America
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
Candidates should contact their state board for specific licensing requirements.
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of funeral service workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Administrative Services and Facilities Managers |
Administrative services and facilities managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently. |
Bachelor's degree | $101,870 |
|
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers |
Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services. |
Bachelor's degree | $138,730 |
|
Human Resources Managers |
Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization. |
Bachelor's degree | $130,000 |
|
Physicians and Surgeons |
Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance. |
Doctoral or professional degree | $229,300 |
|
Psychologists |
Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how individuals relate to one another and to their environments. |
See How to Become One | $85,330 |
|
Social Workers |
Social workers help people prevent and cope with problems in their everyday lives. |
See How to Become One | $55,350 |