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Funeral Attendants

Typical education: High school diplomaLower pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $35,680 Median per year · $17.16/hr Most earn $28,070–$48,460

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Greet people at the funeral home.
  • Clean funeral parlors or chapels.
  • Deliver floral arrangements or other items to family members of the deceased.
  • Perform a variety of tasks during funerals to assist funeral directors and to ensure that services run smoothly and as planned.
  • Arrange floral offerings or lights around caskets.
  • Supervise funeral processions and assist with cemetery parking.

Job outlook

United States
3% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 5,400 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Death care services99.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

Funeral Attendant is an entry-level job. You can often start right after high school, and you learn most of the work on the job, so you don't need extra schooling first. Pay varies by location, so check the career page for typical pay near you.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school and build skills in communication, public speaking, and working with people, which are important when you support grieving families.

  2. Funeral Attendant

    0-1 years

    Start by setting up chapels, arranging flowers, guiding mourners, and helping with equipment while you learn how funeral homes run.

Where it can lead

  1. Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers

    1-2 years of experience first

    Earn an associate degree in funeral service or mortuary science, which the typical path for this role requires, and then take on more responsibility for planning services with families.

  2. Funeral Home Manager

    1-2 years of experience first

    Move into running the funeral home itself, including staff, budgets, and daily operations, which usually requires an associate degree plus prior experience in the field.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take English and public speakingClear speaking and writing help you guide mourners and talk with families during difficult times.
  • Take health or biology classesThese give you a basic understanding of the body and health, which helps when you work in a sensitive setting.
  • Volunteer at a hospice, nursing home, or churchHelping with older adults or grieving people shows you how to be respectful and comforting around loss.
  • Get a part-time customer service jobWorking with the public at a store or restaurant builds the patience and friendliness this job needs.
  • Join a service club or student helping groupTeamwork and community service show employers you can be dependable and caring.

In college

  • Take a funeral service or mortuary science courseIf your school offers one, it gives you a head start on the training that leads to bigger roles in funeral work.
  • Take psychology or sociology classesThese help you understand grief, cultures, and how people cope, which helps you serve families well.
  • Work a part-time job in hospitality or healthcareJobs in hotels, restaurants, or hospitals teach you to work calmly with people and follow strict routines.
  • Get CPR and first aid certifiedMany employers value this certification, and it shows you can stay calm in emergencies.
  • Shadow or intern at a local funeral homeHands-on experience lets you see the daily work and make connections in the field.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local funeral home if you can volunteer or shadow staff for a day. Seeing the work up close will tell you whether it fits you.
  • Check your state's rules for funeral attendants early. Some states have specific requirements, and knowing them now helps you plan.
  • Practice staying calm and kind in hard moments, such as helping a family who is upset. These people skills matter as much as any class.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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