Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers: Job Description
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.
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What Tasks Do Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers Perform?
The core tasks performed by morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers span:
- 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.
What Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers Need to Know
Top morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Arranger
- Cemetery Manager
- Certified Mortician
- Embalmer
- Funeral Arrangement Director
- Funeral Arranger
- Funeral Counselor
- Funeral Director
Job Outlook
There are about 369,709 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to decline by -0.1% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $58,312 |
| Hourly median | $28.04 |
| 10th percentile | $40,014 |
| 25th percentile | $49,163 |
| 75th percentile | $67,462 |
| 90th percentile | $76,611 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Delaware | $80,290 |
| North Dakota | $76,720 |
| Minnesota | $76,490 |
| Nebraska | $65,310 |
| Maine | $63,790 |
| Iowa | $63,770 |
| New York | $62,590 |
| Idaho | $61,270 |
| Utah | $61,190 |
| New Hampshire | $61,000 |
| Michigan | $60,700 |
| Illinois | $60,680 |
| Indiana | $60,430 |
| Virginia | $60,360 |
| Washington | $60,010 |
| South Dakota | $58,990 |
| Florida | $58,960 |
| North Carolina | $58,860 |
| Colorado | $57,420 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,940 |
| Connecticut | $54,590 |
| Vermont | $52,000 |
| Rhode Island | $51,990 |
| Oklahoma | $51,610 |
| West Virginia | $50,210 |
| Wisconsin | $50,020 |
| Wyoming | $49,840 |
| Nevada | $49,740 |
| Ohio | $49,360 |
| Montana | $49,140 |
| Georgia | $49,100 |
| Alabama | $48,450 |
| Oregon | $48,370 |
| Massachusetts | $48,300 |
| California | $47,170 |
| Kansas | $46,920 |
| Maryland | $46,080 |
| New Mexico | $45,970 |
| Kentucky | $45,640 |
| Missouri | $44,830 |
| Tennessee | $44,670 |
| New Jersey | $44,010 |
| Mississippi | $40,280 |
| South Carolina | $40,160 |
| Louisiana | $38,890 |
| Hawaii | $38,040 |
| Arizona | $37,970 |
| Texas | $36,760 |
| Arkansas | $35,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,620 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $59,622 | 9.7% | 1.53 |
| Rocky Mountains | $57,886 | 3.7% | 1.01 |
| Middle Atlantic | $55,966 | 14.0% | 0.95 |
| Great Lakes | $55,703 | 17.6% | 1.29 |
| New England | $52,376 | 4.6% | 1.00 |
| Southeast | $49,939 | 25.7% | 1.17 |
| Far Western US | $48,506 | 14.7% | 0.90 |
| Southwest | $39,597 | 9.4% | 0.78 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | MN | $80,750 | 250 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | MN | $74,180 | 60 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | NH | $67,630 | 30 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | IA | $66,600 | 80 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $65,860 | 80 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | IA | $65,450 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $65,350 | 1,160 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | UT | $64,020 | 140 |
Top Industries Employing Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
The largest employers of morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 25,360 | $49,670 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Salesforce software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Supplemental)
- Social and Community Service Managers (Supplemental)
- Funeral Home Managers (Primary-Short)
- Coroners (Primary-Long)
- Rehabilitation Counselors (Supplemental)
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers (Supplemental)
- Social and Human Service Assistants (Supplemental)
- Clergy (Supplemental)
Where to Study
Aspiring morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers often complete programs in:
Personal and Culinary Services
3 programs across 1 majors
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers).
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