Career Suggestion

Funeral director

Funeral directors organise burials and cremations and support people who have lost a loved one.

Average salary (a year)

£24000.0 to £35000.0 (starter to experienced)

Typical hours (a week)

37.0 to 42.0 on call

You could work

evenings / weekends / bank holidays on shifts

You can get into this job through an apprenticeship or by working your way up.

Apprenticeship

You can apply for a place on an apprenticeship scheme with a funeral services company. Schemes include:

  • Funeral Team Member Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
  • Funeral Director Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

You'll normally need at least 12 months' experience in funeral services to apply for a funeral director apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

  • experience in related work

More Information

  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels

Work

You could get a job at a funeral home, supporting the work of the team, for example as a funeral arranger.

To do this, you would need:

  • customer service experience
  • respect and compassion
  • excellent communication skills
  • good computer and administration skills

As your experience grows, your employer may encourage you to take further training on the job to move into funeral directing.

While working, you could study for qualifications in:

  • funeral arranging and administration
  • mortuary support
  • funeral services
  • funeral directing

More information

You can get more advice about training and careers in the funeral service from the British Institute of Funeral Directors and the National Association of Funeral Directors .

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • sensitivity and understanding
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • customer service skills
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to work well with others
  • business management skills
  • the ability to understand people’s reactions
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Restrictions and Requirements

You'll need to:

You'll usually need a full driving licence for most jobs.

Day-to-day tasks

As a funeral director, you could:

  • transfer the deceased from their home or hospital into funeral care
  • guide bereaved families through the funeral process
  • help families with arrangements, including the date, time and location
  • organise services, such as flowers, transport and tribute notices
  • make sure family wishes, cultural practices and legal requirements are met
  • give families advice about burials, cremations and memorials
  • assist with duties on the day of the ceremony
  • manage the funeral team and budgets

Working environment

You could work at a funeral home, at a cemetery, in an office or at a client's home.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.

You may need to wear a uniform.

If you work for a larger funeral organisation, you could be promoted to branch, area or regional manager.

If you have a lot of experience, you may be able to open your own funeral care business.

You could also use your skills to become a tutor and train others how to become a funeral director.

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