What Does it Take to Be a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director?
Job Description & Duties Perform various tasks to arrange and direct 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.
Life As a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director: What Do They Do?
- Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
- Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties.
- Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.
- Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
- Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.
- Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
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What Skills Do You Need to Work as a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director?
When polled, Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Time Management: Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Related Job Titles
- Undertaker
- Hospital Mortician
- Funeral Pre-arrangement Counselor
- Licensed Mortician
- Certified Mortician
Job Outlook for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 28,700 jobs in the United States for Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 3.8% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,100 new jobs for Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director by 2026. There will be an estimated 3,700 positions for Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director per year.
The states with the most job growth for Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director are Colorado, Utah, and Maine. Watch out if you plan on working in Wyoming, Vermont, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors Salary
The typical yearly salary for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors is somewhere between $29,050 and $89,050.
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors who work in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $40,840 |
| Arizona | $45,830 |
| Arkansas | $41,330 |
| California | $51,350 |
| Colorado | $53,190 |
| Connecticut | $159,970 |
| Delaware | $67,430 |
| Florida | $57,030 |
| Georgia | $47,120 |
| Hawaii | $40,140 |
| Idaho | $54,920 |
| Illinois | $72,280 |
| Indiana | $53,640 |
| Iowa | $68,300 |
| Kansas | $57,990 |
| Kentucky | $44,460 |
| Louisiana | $41,450 |
| Maine | $55,850 |
| Maryland | $59,470 |
| Massachusetts | $71,670 |
| Michigan | $63,280 |
| Minnesota | $67,550 |
| Mississippi | $35,630 |
| Missouri | $43,170 |
| Montana | $57,200 |
| Nebraska | $69,280 |
| Nevada | $39,910 |
| New Hampshire | $69,350 |
| New Jersey | $72,250 |
| New Mexico | $61,540 |
| New York | $68,130 |
| North Carolina | $56,170 |
| North Dakota | $72,220 |
| Ohio | $55,460 |
| Oklahoma | $55,370 |
| Oregon | $51,400 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,330 |
| South Carolina | $48,120 |
| South Dakota | $56,360 |
| Tennessee | $51,580 |
| Texas | $53,560 |
| Utah | $56,820 |
| Vermont | $66,610 |
| Virginia | $57,930 |
| Washington | $57,140 |
| West Virginia | $49,810 |
| Wisconsin | $59,760 |
| Wyoming | $61,280 |
What Tools & Technology do Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Web browser software
- Corel WordPerfect
- FPA Software MACCS
- HMIS Advantage
- Belmar & Associates Mortware
- Custom Data Systems Sterling Management Software
- Twin Tier Technologies MIMS
How do I Become a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director?
Learn what Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director education requirements there are.
What work experience do I need to become a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director?
Where Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors Are Employed
Below are examples of industries where Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors work:
References:
Image Credit: Senior Airman Andrew Lee via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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