Funeral directors and embalmers
Career Overview
Funeral directors:
- Co-ordinate and arrange all aspects of funeral services
Embalmers:
- Prepare the remains of deceased persons for public visitation and burial
Funeral directors and embalmers:
- Work for funeral homes
Job Titles
Duties
Funeral directors:
- Talk to the family of the deceased about the nature of the funeral service, disposing of the remains and funeral costs
- Transfer or arrange transfer of the remains from the place of death to the funeral home
- Tell survivors about benefits they may be eligible for
- Issue death notices to newspapers
- Oversee the preparation of the remains
- Plan and schedule funeral services
- Co-ordinate burials and cremations and complete legal documents
- Discuss and negotiate prearranged funerals with clients
- Manage funeral home operations including hiring and directing staff, maintaining financial records, preparing accounts and ordering merchandise
- Supervise embalmers, funeral home attendants and other funeral home staff
- May perform same duties as embalmers
Embalmers:
- Preserve, sanitize and prepare human remains for funeral services
- Do cosmetic and restorative work on human remains
- Supervise funeral home attendants and other funeral home staff
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
405% Employed Full Time
75%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a conventional indoor setting
- Workers may be exposed to bacteria that could cause illness
- The workplace may contain strong odours
Career Pathways
Career path information is currently not available.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Completion of a one- to two-year college program and a twelve- to twenty-month practical apprenticeship program during or following the educational program is usually required for funeral directors.
- Completion of a two- to three-year college program and a twelve- to twenty-month practical apprenticeship program during or following the educational program, or
- Completion of a three-year college program is required for embalmers.
- Funeral directors require licensure in most provinces and territories.
- Funeral directors may be required to be licensed embalmers depending on provincial requirements.
- Embalmers require licensure in all provinces.
For more information please see SkilledTradesBC's website at https://skilledtradesbc.ca.
Embalmers who are certified for that occupation by a regulator elsewhere in Canada can apply for the same certification from the regulator in B.C. Under the terms of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), most applicants who are transferring their credentials from elsewhere in Canada will not be required to complete additional training or testing. However, the B.C. regulator may ask applicants to provide further information such as a letter of good standing, references, or criminal record check.
For those who trained outside of Canada and never received certification from any Canadian jurisdiction, a full assessment is likely needed. Most occupational regulators have a process for assessment and recognize internationally trained applicants.
Contact the Consumer Protection BC for details on how to apply for certification in B.C.
For information about labour mobility in Canada, visit www.workersmobility.ca.
View a list of Professional Regulatory Authorities in B.C.
Trades training resources
Visit our trades training page at www.workbc.ca/trades to learn about apprenticeship and trades training in B.C.
Education programs in B.C.
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
405Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 30 | 7.5% |
| Kootenay | 25 | 6.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 155 | 38.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 10 | 2.5% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 85 | 21.2% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 95 | 23.8% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
170Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 0.1% |
| Kootenay | 0 | 0.5% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 80 | 2.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 40 | 1.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 30 | 0.7% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 170 |
Resources
-
Funeral Service Association of British Columbiawww.bcfunerals.com/
-
British Columbia Funeral Association – Employment Opportunitiesbusiness.bcfunerals.com/careers-and-education/employment-opportunities/