Personal care and service
Funeral attendant
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.
Median pay
$35,680
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
5,400
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Funeral attendant
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Funeral attendant: 18% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
- Arrange floral offerings or lights around caskets.
Also called: Funeral Assistant · Funeral Associate · Funeral Attendant · Funeral Director · Funeral Greeter · Funeral Home Assistant · Funeral Home Associate · Funeral Home Attendant
Outlook and AI
Funeral attendants held 31,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 32,100 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Funeral attendant vs. Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
- Funeral attendant vs. Funeral home manager
- Funeral attendant vs. Crematory operator
- Funeral attendant vs. Embalmer
- Funeral attendant vs. Home health and personal care aides
- Funeral attendant vs. Orderly
- Funeral attendant vs. Ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers
- Funeral attendant vs. First-line supervisor of personal service workers
- Funeral attendant vs. Passenger attendant