Occupation Details
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.
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Interests
Social
Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Enterprising
Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Conventional
Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Work Values
Achievement
Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Relationships
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Independence
Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Salary & Job Outlook
Starting Salary
$47,150.00
New York StateMedian Salary
$69,200.00
New York StateExperienced Salary
$89,470.00
New York StateNational Average for Comparison
New York State Job Market Outlook
Jobs Right Now (2018)
1,630
professionals in NYFuture Job Growth (2030)
2,820
+119 jobs/yearNew Jobs Every Year
377
new opportunities yearlyGrowth Rate
0.7%
projected increasePreparation: Experience, Training, and Education
The list below outlines the prior educational experience required to perform in this occupation.
College Helps - Some college classes or training
Experience Requirements
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Education Requirements
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Training Details
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Transferrable Skills and Experience
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, desktop publishers, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters and simultaneous captioners, and medical assistants.
School Programs
The following lists school programs which are applicable to this occupation.
Licensing & Certification
State License and Certifications Requirements are not currently associated with this occupation.
Skills
The list below includes the skills required by workers in this occupation; skills are what allow you to learn more quickly and improve your performance.
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.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Skill level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Knowledge
The list below includes knowledge items, the principles and facts required by this occupation.
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.
Knowledge level is measured on a seven point scale, where one means 'some competence required for this occupation' and seven means 'a high level of expertise required for this occupation'.
Work Environment
The list below includes the physical and social factors that influence the nature of work in this occupation.
Hover over or tap each factor to see its description.
Work Styles
Included in the list below are the personal work style characteristics that can affect how well a worker is likely to perform in this occupation.
Adaptability/Flexibility
Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
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.
Cooperation
Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Dependability
Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity
Job requires being honest and ethical.
Leadership
Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Self-Control
Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Social Orientation
Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Stress Tolerance
Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Tools & Technology
This list below describes the machines, equipment, tools, software, and information technology that workers in this occupation will use.
Tools
- Adult trocars
- Air brushes
- Aneurysm needles
- Angular forceps
- Arm and hand positioners
- Axillary drain tubes
- Barber scissors
- Bistoury knives
- Blending brushes
- Body bags
- Body positioners
- Calvarium clamps
- Carotid tubes
- Casket lifters
- Centrifugal force pumps
- Cosmetic brushes
- Curved Kelly forceps
- Curved arterial tubes
- Curved suture needles
- Cuticle scissors
- Desktop computers
- Electric mortuary aspirators
- Embalming bulb syringes
- Embalming fluid pumps
- Embalming injector needles
- Embalming machines
- Embalming syringes
- Embalming vein drainage tubing
- Emergency eye wash stations
- Extremity positioners
Technology
- Belmar & Associates Mortware
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
- FPA Software MACCS
- FuneralKiosk
- HMIS Advantage
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Word
- Twin Tier Technologies MIMS
Duties
Duties are job behaviors describing activities that occur on multiple jobs. The generalized and detailed work activities described in the list below apply to this occupation.
- hire, discharge, transfer, or promote workers
- order or purchase supplies, materials, or equipment
- assign work to staff or employees
- use counseling techniques
- use grief counseling techniques
- use marketing techniques
- use freight shipping or storage procedures
- maintain records, reports, or files
- negotiate term of sale or services with customer
- schedule meetings or appointments
- schedule activities, classes, or events
- arrange for transportation or accommodations
- reconcile or balance financial records
- oversee execution of organizational or program policies
- direct funeral services
- direct and coordinate activities of workers or staff
- advise clients or customers
- determine funeral arrangements
- confer with client regarding type of arrangement desired
- obtain information from clients, customers, or patients
- interview family members to arrange funeral details
- empathize with others during counseling or related services
- assist patrons or passengers to find seats
Tasks
The list below outlines specific tasks that a worker in this occupation is called upon to do regularly.
- 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.
- Remove deceased remains from place of death.
- Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services.
- Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.
- Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
- Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.
- 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.
- Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.
- Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial.
- Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible.
- Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
- Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
- Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
- Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.
- Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties.
- Receive or usher people to their seats for services.
- Participate in community activities for funeral home promotion or other purposes.
Learning Resources
More information on this occupation may be found in the links provided below.
Funeral directors
Visit this link for additional information on this career from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; a publication produced and maintained by the United States Department of Labor.
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