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Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers

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.

What you’d do

  • 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.

Skills that matter

  • Active Listening
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Service Orientation
  • Coordination
  • Speaking
  • Time Management

How to get there

Medium preparation: usually vocational school, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree

Also called

  • Funeral Arranger
  • Funeral Counselor
  • Funeral Director
  • Mortician
  • Funeral Arrangement Director
  • Funeral Family Service Assistant

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