Morticians, Undertakers, & 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.
Key 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.
- Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.
- Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.
- 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.
- Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.
- Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
- Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services.
- Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
- Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.
- Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.
- Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible.
- 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.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
95%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
95%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
93%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
91%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
89%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
89%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
89%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
85%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
82%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
81%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
81%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
77%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
76%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
71%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
71%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
70%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
69%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
69%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
69%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
68%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
67%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
62%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
60%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
57%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
57%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
55%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
53%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
50%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
48%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
47%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
46%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
45%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
45%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
41%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
39%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
37%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
37%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
33%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
26%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
25%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
22%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
21%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
21%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
17%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
16%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
16%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
15%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
7%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
6%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
5%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
4%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
4%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
2%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
2%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
1%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
0%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
0%
Education
Associate's degree
High school diploma or equivalent
Bachelor's degree
Interests
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 hum
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/advertis
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.
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Work Styles
Work Values
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