Occupation salary profile

Funeral Attendants

SOC 39-4021 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$35,680
▲ +3.09% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$37,190
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
31,090
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Funeral Attendants

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$28,070
25th$30,380
Median (50th)$35,680
75th$42,870
90th — top pay$48,460

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Funeral Attendants

BLS projects employment of funeral attendants to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 5,400 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
31,300 → 32,100
+800 jobs
Projected change
+2.6%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
5,400
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
0.2% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Funeral Attendants

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Service Orientation3.3
  • Social Perceptiveness3.3
  • Active Listening3.1
  • Coordination3.0
  • Monitoring3.0
  • Speaking3.0
  • Reading Comprehension2.8
  • Critical Thinking2.6
  • Judgment and Decision Making2.4
  • Time Management2.4
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.4
  • English Language3.9
  • Administrative3.4
  • Transportation3.0
  • Computers and Electronics2.9
  • Law and Government2.7
  • Communications and Media2.7
  • Sales and Marketing2.5
Software and technology used
Microsoft Office softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordBookkeeping softwareiCIMS Talent Cloud software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What funeral attendants do

  • 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 AssistantFuneral AttendantFuneral DirectorFuneral Home AssistantFuneral AssociateFuneral GreeterFuneral Home AssociateFuneral Home Attendant
More job titles for this occupation (9)
Cemetery Services SpecialistFuneral Service AttendantFuneral Services Assistant (FSA)GreeterMortician HelperPallbearerRemoval Technician (Removal Tech)Undertaker AssistantUndertaker Helper

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.