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Date: 10/24/2026

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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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.
    • Plan, schedule, or coordinate funerals, burials, or cremations, arranging details such as floral delivery or the time and place of services.
    • Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
    • Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.
    • 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.
    • Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.
    • Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services.
    • Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible.
    • Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.
    • Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.
    • Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.
    • 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.
    • Participate in community activities for funeral home promotion or other purposes.
    • Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
    • Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.
    • Perform embalming duties, as necessary.
    • Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial.
    • Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.
    • Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.
    • Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties.
    • 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.
    • Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.
    • Receive or usher people to their seats for services.

    Skills

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    5
    Workplace Documents
    6
    Graphic Literacy
    5

    Abilities

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    Knowledge

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • 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.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • 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.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • 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.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • 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.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • 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.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 57800/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 27.79/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 1,390
    • Yearly Projected Openings 160

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Conventional: People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Sincerity
    • Empathy
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Self-Control
    • Social Orientation
    • Cooperation

    Tools

    • ASTM rated surgical masks/ tie back mask
    • Air brushes
    • Autopsy fluid collection vacuum aspirators or tubing
    • Autopsy head rests
    • Autopsy knives or blades
    • Autopsy saws
    • Cadaver lifter or transfer devices
    • Centrifugal pumps
    • Chemical pumps
    • Desktop computer
    • Embalming cavity injectors
    • Embalming injecting tubes
    • Embalming injector needles
    • Embalming vein drainage tubes
    • Eyewashers or eye wash stations
    • Finger ring removers or cutters
    • Footwear covers
    • Goggles
    • Hair care supplies
    • Hypodermic needle
    • Makeup kits
    • Manicure implements
    • Medical body bags
    • Morgue cabinet refrigerators
    • Mortuary aspirators
    • Nitrile medical exam or non surgical procedure gloves
    • Notebook computer
    • Operating room patient positioning devices for general use
    • Ophthalmic surgical knives or blades
    • Paint sprayers
    • Personal computer
    • Postmortem incision clips
    • Postmortem needles
    • Protective coveralls
    • Protective hood
    • Steam autoclaves or sterilizers
    • Surgical clamps or clips or forceps
    • Surgical needle holders
    • Surgical scalpels or knives or blades or trephines
    • Surgical scissors
    • Surgical shave kits or prep razors or clippers
    • Surgical trocars for general use
    • Suture needles

    Technology

    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Human resources software
    • Internet browser software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software
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