Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Also called: Arranger, Cemetery Manager, Certified Mortician, Embalmer, Funeral Arrangement Director, Funeral Arranger, Funeral Counselor, Funeral Director
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 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.
- Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
- Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial.
- Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers salary
The median annual wage for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers is $55,010 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $33,350 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $88,620. The mean annual wage is $58,160.
The mean hourly wage of $27.00 is 3.7× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $55,010 → in 3 years $60,300 → in 5 years $64,200 → in 10 years $74,900 (10-year range $64,400–$86,900). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers United States | 葬祭ディレクター Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $55,010 | ¥4.03M ≈ $25,607 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $74,900 | ¥5.34M |
| Outlook score | 59 | 53 |
| AI replacement risk | 26% Low | 37% Low |
| Workers | 25K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.