Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Personal Care and Service · SOC 39-4031 · O*NET 39-4031.00
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.
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers fall under the Personal Care and Service category in the U.S. occupational classification. Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers earn a median salary of $49,800 per year, ranking in the top 63% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +3.1% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers earn?
The median annual wage for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers is $49,800. That puts morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers at #508 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is around or below the U.S. median for individual workers, so career growth often depends on advancement into supervisory roles, specialization, or additional credentials. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $31,470 |
| 25th percentile | $38,470 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $49,800 |
| 75th percentile | $67,140 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $85,940 |
| Median hourly wage | $23.94/hr |
Is morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers is +3.1%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 27K positions in 2024 to 28K in 2034, a net change of 1K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.
- 2.Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.
- 3.Perform embalming duties, as necessary.
- 4.Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
- 5.Remove deceased remains from place of death.
- 6.Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.
- 7.Plan, schedule, or coordinate funerals, burials, or cremations, arranging details such as floral delivery or the time and place of services.
- 8.Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.
Top skills for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become morticians, undertakers, and funeral arranger?
Many morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
- First-Line Supervisors of Gambling Services Workers$61,590 median
- Embalmers$56,280 median
- Costume Attendants$54,810 median
- Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance$50,280 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Personal Service Workers$47,080 median
- First-Line Supervisors of Entertainment and Recreation Workers, Except Gambling Services$46,900 median
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
What is the median salary for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers?
The median annual salary for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers is $49,800 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers a growing career?
BLS projects +3.1% growth for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become morticians, undertakers, and funeral arranger?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers?
Related occupations within the Personal Care and Service category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.