Data & Research
 
* ELMI Occupation Profile - Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers *
 
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
(O*NET 39-4031.00, SOC 39-4031)
What they do
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.
 
Also called:
Funeral Arrangement Director, Funeral Arranger, Funeral Counselor, Funeral Director, Funeral Location Manager, Funeral Pre-Need Consultant, Funeral Prearrangement Counselor, Licensed Funeral Director, Licensed Mortician, Mortician
 
 
Wages
Vermont - 2023
Percentile1HourlyYearly
10% $ 19.65   $40,870  
25% $ 24.41   $50,760  
Median $ 25.94   $53,960  
75% $ 36.56   $76,050  
90% $ 37.65   $78,300  
 
Average $ 28.32   $58,900  
1 What are Percentile Wages?
More at CareerOneStop
 
Industries of Employment
United States - 2020
IndustryPercent of total
  • Personal and laundry services
98%
  • Self-employed workers
1%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service
0%
More at BLS
 
Knowledge
People in this career often know a lot about:
  • Customer and Personal Service
    Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Administration and Management
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Administrative
    Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Psychology
    Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Sales and Marketing
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
More at O*NET
 
Skills
People in this career often have these skills:
  • 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.
More at O*NET
 
Interests
People in this career often prefer these work environments:
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Conventional
    Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
What are your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler
 
Work Styles
People in this career will do well at jobs that need:
  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Concern for Others
    Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Self-Control
    Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
More at O*NET
 
Tasks
On the job, you would:
  • Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.
  • Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
  • Perform embalming duties, as necessary.
  • Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.
  • Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.
More at O*NET
 
Related Occupations
More at O*NET
 
 
Career Video
Watch at CareerOneStop with transcript or at YouTube.
 
Projected Employment
 Vermont
2020 employment 60
2030 employment 62
Annual percent change
(compounded)
0.3%
Annual projected job openings
(due to change and separations)
7
More at Occupational Projections
 
Education and Experience:
  • Typical education needed for entry
    Associate's degree
  • Work experience in a related occupation
    None
  • Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
    Long-term on-the-job training
Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications
 
Physical Work Activity
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
 
  • Physical activity is Important
  • Level of activity is Moderate
Importance
Low   High
Level
Compare Occupations at O*NET
 
Job Zone
Medium Preparation Needed
  • Specific Vocational Preparation Range
    (6.0 to < 7.0) - A typical worker will require over 1 year up to and including 2 years of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP
 
Education Level
How much education do most people in this career have?
Education level Percent of
U.S. Workers
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate
  2%
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate
  3%
Bachelor's degree   3%
Associate's degree   73%
Certificate or some college,
no degree
  19%
High school diploma
or equivalent
  2%
Less than high school diploma   0%
More at O*NET
 
Licensing
Vermont may require an occupational license:
Select a license for details
 
Abilities
People in this career often have talent in:
  • Oral Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Speech Clarity
    The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition
    The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • 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.
More at O*NET
 
Work Activities
In general, what you might do:
  • 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.
  • Assisting and Caring for Others
    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
  • Getting Information
    Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
More at O*NET
 
Detailed Work Activities
What you might do in a day:
  • Gather information in order to provide services to clients.
  • Discuss service options or needs with clients.
  • Embalm corpses.
  • Direct funeral or mortuary activities.
  • Arrange facility schedules.
More at O*NET
 
Other Resources
  • CareerOneStop
    resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
  • O*NET Online
    nation's primary source of occupational information
 
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This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

BLS

This page includes information produced in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and State Occupational Projections programs.

 
 
 
 
Vermont.gov State of Vermont Department of Labor