Can Agents Work?

Jobs / Food service, cleaning, and personal care / 39-4031.00

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.

US jobs
25,100
Median wage
$55,010 a year
Job family
Food service, cleaning, and personal care

Can agents do the work of morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Food service, cleaning, and personal care: Not yet (first measured in the last 12 months)

Direct benchmarks exist, but agents complete less than 20% of their tasks.

Evidence: BEHAVIOR Challenge 2025, 12.4% of tasks fully completed (Full task success rate).

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 29%Direct organizational operations, activities, or proceduresNot measured
  • 15%Confer with clients to determine needs or order specificationsNot measured
  • 9%Counsel others about personal mattersNot measured
  • 9%Escort othersNot measured
  • 7%Move materials, equipment, or suppliesNot measured
  • 5%Gather information from physical or electronic sourcesNot measured
  • 5%Prepare schedules for services or facilitiesNot measured
  • 4%Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areasNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in food service, cleaning, and personal care, not always this occupation's tasks.

Direct evidence

Work benchmarks mapped primary to this family. They set the step when they report how many tasks agents complete.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • 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.
  • Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.
  • Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.
  • 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.
Other job titles for this occupation (20)

Funeral Arrangement Director · Funeral Arranger · Funeral Counselor · Funeral Director · Funeral Family Service Assistant · Funeral Location Manager · Funeral Prearrangement Counselor · Licensed Funeral Director · Licensed Mortician · Mortician · Arranger · Cemetery Manager · Certified Mortician · Embalmer · Funeral Planner · Funeral Planning Counselor · Funeral Prearrangement Specialist · Hospital Mortician · Licensed Embalmer · Undertaker