Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers

O*NET-SOC code: 39-4031.00

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.

Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Moderate· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery high
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
Source dataset (XLSX download)
Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
Source dataset (CSV download)
Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.17
0.09Range of values carried here0.70
Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
Source dataset (PDF download)

What kind of figure this source publishes

The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.

Task-level exposure

Exposed tasks only

22 rated tasks · 5 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (22.7%)

β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.

Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.

Source: OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
Release: gh-main-0471612
License: MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI

Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.

Task (O*NET 27.2)	βE1 + 0.5 × E2
Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits. O*NET Task ID 3334	1.0
Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts. O*NET Task ID 3347	1.0
Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves. O*NET Task ID 3336	0.5
Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible. O*NET Task ID 3346	0.5
Plan, schedule, or coordinate funerals, burials, or cremations, arranging details such as floral delivery or the time and place of services. O*NET Task ID 15200	0.5
Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services. O*NET Task ID 3332	0.0
Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died. O*NET Task ID 3335	0.0
Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area. O*NET Task ID 3337	0.0
Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends. O*NET Task ID 3339	0.0
Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites. O*NET Task ID 3340	0.0
Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services. O*NET Task ID 3341	0.0
Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers. O*NET Task ID 3342	0.0
Perform embalming duties, as necessary. O*NET Task ID 3343	0.0
Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial. O*NET Task ID 3344	0.0
Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients. O*NET Task ID 3345	0.0
Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays. O*NET Task ID 3348	0.0
Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties. O*NET Task ID 3349	0.0
Receive or usher people to their seats for services. O*NET Task ID 3350	0.0
Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff. O*NET Task ID 15201	0.0
Clean funeral home facilities and grounds. O*NET Task ID 15202	0.0
Participate in community activities for funeral home promotion or other purposes. O*NET Task ID 15203	0.0
Remove deceased remains from place of death. O*NET Task ID 21009	0.0

β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.

Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page

All O*NET 31.0 task statements (22)

All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.

Task (O*NET 31.0)	Type
Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.	Core
Obtain information needed to complete legal documents, such as death certificates or burial permits.	Core
Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.	Core
Contact cemeteries to schedule the opening and closing of graves.	Core
Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.	Core
Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.	Core
Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.	Core
Arrange for clergy members to perform needed services.	Core
Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.	Core
Perform embalming duties, as necessary.	Core
Direct preparations and shipment of bodies for out-of-state burial.	Core
Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients.	Core
Inform survivors of benefits for which they may be eligible.	Core
Maintain financial records, order merchandise, or prepare accounts.	Core
Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.	Core
Arrange for pallbearers or inform pallbearers or honorary groups of their duties.	Core
Receive or usher people to their seats for services.	Core
Plan, schedule, or coordinate funerals, burials, or cremations, arranging details such as floral delivery or the time and place of services.	Core
Manage funeral home operations, including the hiring, training, or supervision of embalmers, funeral attendants, or other staff.	Core
Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.	Core
Participate in community activities for funeral home promotion or other purposes.	Core
Remove deceased remains from place of death.	Core

Anthropic, "What work can robots do?"2026-09

0.24/ 3· Robot exposure index

0 none3 unstructured settings

Scale, basis and source

Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time

Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks

Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.

Source dataset

The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.

Tier of each physical task

Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)

E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site

Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.

Task (O*NET 29.3)	Robot environment tier
Oversee the preparation and care of the remains of people who have died.	E0 none
Provide information on funeral service options, products, or merchandise, and maintain a casket display area.	E0 none
Close caskets and lead funeral corteges to churches or burial sites.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Provide or arrange transportation between sites for the remains, mourners, pallbearers, clergy, or flowers.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Perform embalming duties, as necessary.	E0 none
Plan placement of caskets at funeral sites or place or adjust lights, fixtures, or floral displays.	E1 purpose-built robot settings
Clean funeral home facilities and grounds.	E2 structured facilities
Remove deceased remains from place of death.	E1 purpose-built robot settings

Employment outlook (BLS)

Employment, 2025: 27K
Projected employment, 2035: 28K
Change (2025–35): +3%
Median annual wage, 2025: $55,010
Typical education needed for entry: Associate's degree

lowest $30,890median wage across 825 detailed occupations, BLS EP 2025–35highest $559,030

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — Employment by detailed occupation, 2025 and projected 2035

Korea classification links (KSCO)

Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.

KSCO code	KSCO title	Relation	Status
43231	장례 상담원	This occupation is broader	confirmed
43232	장례 지도사	This occupation is broader	confirmed
43339	그 외 반려동물 관리 종사원	Related, not a match	confirmed

Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)

ILO occupational description

AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.

ISCO-08 5163Undertakers and Embalmers

The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.

Undertakers and embalmers arrange funerals and perform various tasks in the disposal of human bodies.

Tasks

(a) making arrangements for, and conducting, funerals, cremations and burials;
(b) embalming human bodies to retard or arrest the process of decay;
(c) conforming to health and sanitation and ensuring that legal requirements concerning embalming are met;
(d) incising and closing incisions on various parts of the body and reshaping or reconstructing disfigured or maimed bodies when necessary;
(e) dressing bodies and placing them in caskets;
(f) conducting interviews to arrange for preparation of obituary notices, to assist with the selection of caskets or urns, and to determine the location and time of burials or cremations.

Example occupations

Embalmer · Undertaker

Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits

ESCO occupational vocabulary

Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.

funeral services directorESCO 5163.4Same scope
Funeral services directors coordinate the logistics of funerals. They support the deceased family by arranging the details concerning the location, dates and times of memorial services. Funeral services directors contact representatives of the cemetery to prepare the site, plan transportation for the deceased person, advise on the types of memorials and legal requirements or paperwork. Funeral services directors organise the daily operations of the crematorium. They oversee the staff's activities in the crematorium and ensure that they deliver services according to legal requirements. They monitor the crematorium service revenue budget and develop and maintain operational rules within the crematorium.

Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)

License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)

View original

ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.

France classification links (ROME)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.

ROME code	ROME title (French)	Relation
K2602	Conseiller / Conseillère funéraire	This occupation is broaderprovisional
K2605	Maître / Maîtresse de cérémonie funéraire	This occupation is broaderprovisional
K2606	Directeur / Directrice d'entreprise funéraire	Overlapping, not the sameprovisional

Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.

ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)

Spain classification links (CNO-11)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

CNO-11 code	CNO-11 title (Spanish)	Relation
5892	Empleados de pompas fúnebres y embalsamadores	This occupation is narrowerprovisional

Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)

Germany classification links (KldB)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

KldB code	KldB title (German)	Relation
82402	Berufe im Bestattungswesen - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten	This occupation is broader
82403	Berufe im Bestattungswesen - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten	This occupation is broader

Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)

Japan classification links (JSCO)

AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.

JSCO code	JSCO title (Japanese)	Relation
425	葬儀師，火葬作業員	This occupation is narrowerprovisional

Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.

(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)

Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources