Career Overview
Perform a variety of tasks during funeral, such as placing casket in parlor or chapel prior to service, arranging floral offerings or lights around casket, directing or escorting mourners, closing casket, and issuing and storing funeral equipment.
Also Known As
- Funeral Assistant
- Funeral Attendant
- Funeral Director
- Funeral Home Assistant
Alternate Job Titles
- Cemetery Services Specialist
- Funeral Assistant
- Funeral Associate
- Funeral Attendant
- Funeral Director
- Funeral Greeter
- Funeral Home Assistant
- Funeral Home Associate
- Funeral Home Attendant
- Funeral Service Attendant
- Funeral Services Assistant (FSA)
- Greeter
- Mortician Helper
- Pallbearer
- Removal Technician (Removal Tech)
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Greet people at the funeral home.
- Perform a variety of tasks during funerals to assist funeral directors and to ensure that services run smoothly and as planned.
- Close caskets at appropriate point in services.
- Direct or escort mourners to parlors or chapels in which wakes or funerals are being held.
- Place caskets in parlors or chapels prior to wakes or funerals.
- Offer assistance to mourners as they enter or exit limousines.
- Clean funeral parlors or chapels.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Oral Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Near Vision
- Speech Clarity
- Speech Recognition
- Written Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Information Ordering
- Static Strength
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Dependability
- Empathy
- Cooperation
- Sincerity
- Self-Control
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Support
- Independence
- Working Conditions
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Body bridges
- Casket carriages
- Casket lowering devices
- Compaction tampers
- Cremation stands
- Dump trailers
- Funeral church trucks
- Hearses
- Mausoleum lifts
- Monument lifts
- Mortuary bier pins
- Mortuary cots
- Mortuary dressing tables
- Mortuary lift systems
- Mortuary operating tables
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
- Contact With Others
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $26,820 |
| Median | $34,610 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $46,690 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 30,560
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $49,800
Funeral Home Managers
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $76,830
Crematory Operators
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $42,880
Embalmers
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $56,280
Home Health Aides
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: Varies
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.