Mortician Job Description: Key Duties for Recruiters

For recruiters looking to fill this essential position, it’s important to understand the wide range of duties that a mortician carries out. From preparing the deceased for viewings to guiding families through difficult decisions, the role demands a unique blend of technical skill, compassion, and organizational prowess. This article delves into the key duties of a mortician, providing essential information for recruiters aiming to identify the right candidate for this critical role.

What Is a Mortician?

A mortician, also known as an undertaker, manages funeral services by preparing the deceased, coordinating logistics, and supporting grieving families. They work with cemeteries and cultural institutions, assist with legal requirements, and help families with decisions regarding coffins and obituaries, requiring both technical skills and empathy.

Where to Find Them?

1. Mortuary or Funeral Service Schools/Programs
2. Professional Associations & Networks: American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) in the U.S., or local equivalents. Local funeral associations, societies, or guilds may circulate job listings among members.
3. Industry Job Boards & Niche Portals: Specialized job boards for death care, funeral services, or health/caregiving industries sometimes list mortician roles or general job sites, but with targeted keywords like “mortician,” “embalmer,” “funeral service staff,” etc.‍
4. Recruitment Agencies/Headhunters Specializing in Niche Professions
5. Social Media, LinkedIn & Targeted Advertising:

• Use LinkedIn targeting (e.g., by mortuary science and funeral service titles)
• Use geo-targeted advertising in regions near your funeral homes
• Join relevant professional groups and post the role with “mortician” in the title.

Mortician Job Description

We are seeking a compassionate, detail-oriented mortician to carry out the full scope of mortuary services, from body preparation and embalming to restoration and facilitating final arrangements with bereaved families. The ideal candidate will ensure dignity, compliance, and empathy in all funeral operations.

Mortician Key Responsibilities/Duties:

• Embalm, disinfect, dress, cosmetically restore, and casket deceased persons
• Coordinate with family members to explain services, options, and contracts
• Obtain permits, death certificates, and legal documents required for funerals
• Transport the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home or mortuary
• Maintain and sanitize mortuary equipment, workspaces, and preparation rooms
• Liaise with florists, clergy, cemeteries, and pallbearers to coordinate services
• Offer emotional support, act as a liaison, and provide grief resources to families
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and national laws and regulations regarding death care
• Maintain records, inventories, budgets, and billing related to services

Required Qualifications

• Prior experience as a mortician or in funeral services (embalming, restorative work)
• A degree or certification in mortuary science, funeral service, or a related field is preferred
• Licensure or ability to become licensed (where applicable)
• Strong understanding of religious, cultural, and ritual burial practices

Required Skills

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Capacity to work under pressure, handle emotional situations, and manage multiple tasks
• Meticulous attention to detail, strong organizational skills
• Willingness to work irregular hours, on-call shifts, weekends, as death care is unpredictable

Challenges in Hiring a Mortician

• Low Influx of New Graduates: Fewer young professionals are entering the death care profession, partly due to emotional burden, stigma, difficult hours, and limited awareness.
• High Emotional and Burnout Risks: Morticians deal closely with death, grieving families, and unpredictable schedules, which can lead to emotional fatigue and burnout.
• Licensing, Regulation & Training Complexity: Candidates often need specific licensure, apprenticeships, and compliance with local/subnational laws, which narrows the eligible pool and increases lead time.
• Geographic Imbalances: Some regions (especially rural areas) may struggle to attract qualified candidates willing to relocate or work in less populated areas.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire?

• Annual salary/wages: In the U.S., the average is around US$65,886 per year (≈ US$31.68/hr).
• Median (lower-end) benchmarks in some areas may drift closer to $49,800/year per BLS data for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers.
• Recruitment Costs: Advertising fees, job board costs, agency/headhunter fees, time spent in screening, interviews, background, or credential checks
• Training/Onboarding Costs: Orientation, mentorship, licensing or certification support, professional development
• Licensing, Compliance & Insurance: License application, renewal fees, liability insurance, or malpractice coverage

Conclusion

Recruiting a qualified mortician is a specialized, challenging task, but with the right job description (such as using the Mortician job description template above), targeted sourcing, and realistic budgeting, it becomes far more tractable. The industry is under pressure from retirements, limited new entrants, and emotional burnout risk, so recruiters must be proactive, creative, and empathetic in how they hire. Careful planning of compensation, licensing support, and benefits can help you attract and retain top talent in this essential but demanding profession.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What should a recruiter include in a mortician's job description?

A: A strong mortician job description should clearly outline core duties (embalming, restoration, client liaison), required qualifications/licenses, soft skills (empathy, patience), compensation, and working conditions (on-call, shift patterns).

Q: How long should a mortician's job description be?

A: Aim for conciseness: one page is ideal. Use bullet points for duties and requirements so candidates and recruiters can quickly scan.

Q: Can a mortician's role combine funeral coordination with body preparation?

A: Yes. Many mortician positions combine both the technical embalming/restorative work and logistical coordination tasks. Be explicit in the mortician job description about which mix applies.

Q: What credentials or licenses should a mortician's job description require?

A: Typically, a mortician's job description should require or prefer certification or licensure in mortuary science, required apprenticeships, or state/province licensing, depending on jurisdiction.

Q: What is the difference between a mortician's job description and a funeral director's job description?

A: A mortician's job description usually emphasizes body preparation, embalming, and technical mortuary work, while a funeral director's job description often emphasizes planning, client liaison, and service coordination. Some roles blend both, so your description should clarify which responsibilities the role will include.