Mortician and Funeral Director Career Assessment
Caring for families after a death — ND in-demand occupation
Welcome
Morticians and funeral directors care for people who have died and help their families plan funerals.
This is meaningful, unique work. You will explore whether it fits you.
This takes about 15 minutes.
What is a Mortician and Funeral Director?
A mortician (funeral director) prepares bodies for burial or cremation, including embalming, and helps grieving families plan services. In ND, one license covers both embalming and funeral directing.
The Reality: You work with death and grief every day. Calls come at any hour. You must be calm, respectful, and caring, even in very sad situations.
Your Responsibilities:
- Respond to calls when someone dies
- Transport and prepare bodies
- Embalm and dress the deceased
- Meet with families to plan services
- Arrange funerals, burials, and cremations
- Complete death certificates and paperwork
- Direct funeral services
- Support grieving families
You help families through one of the hardest times in life.
A Day in the Life
2:00 AM — Phone call: someone has died at a nursing home. You go to bring them into your care.
8:00 AM — Embalming and preparation.
10:00 AM — Meet with a family to plan a funeral.
12:00 PM — Lunch.
1:00 PM — Complete paperwork and permits.
3:00 PM — Set up for tonight's visitation.
6:00 PM — Greet families at the visitation.
Unpredictable, caring, and meaningful work.
Training in North Dakota
North Dakota requires a license and there is no program in ND. You need college credits, a mortuary science degree, an internship, and exams.
Training Pathways:
- College credits (2 years): NDSU offers pre-mortuary coursework.
- Mortuary science program: University of Minnesota (nearest) or accredited distance programs.
- Internship: At least 25 embalmings and 10 funerals under a licensed ND funeral practitioner.
Where to Train in North Dakota:
- No mortuary science program in North Dakota
- North Dakota State University (Fargo) — pre-mortuary coursework
- University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) — Mortuary Science
- ABFSE-accredited programs with distance learning (several states)
Before You Start: High school diploma or GED. At least 60 semester credits of college. Emotional strength and compassion.
Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like training, tools, work boots, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Registered apprenticeships let you earn a paycheck while you learn — see jobsnd.com/job-seeker/apprenticeships for ND programs.
Certification & Licensing
North Dakota requires a funeral practitioner license. The ND State Board of Funeral Service licenses funeral practitioners.
What You Need:
- Mortuary science diploma from an accredited program
- Registered internship (25 embalmings, 10 funerals)
- National Board Exam
- ND laws and rules exam
The Exams: The National Board Exam covers arts and sciences of funeral service.
Cost: ND application about $100; internship registration $50. Exam fees extra.
Keeping It Current: License renews every year.
Salary & Job Outlook
North Dakota Mortician, Undertaker, and Funeral Arranger Pay (May 2025):
- Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $21.49–$25.99/hour ($44,700–$54,060/year)
- Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $28.73/hour ($59,760/year)
- Experienced (top 25–10%): $39.24–$45.31/hour ($81,620–$94,250/year)
What that means: ND pay is above the national median.
Jobs in North Dakota: About 100 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 100 (little change). Expect about 10 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 3% growth — average.
Outlook: Very small field in ND with about 10 openings a year, often at small family-owned funeral homes in rural areas.
Who Hires in ND: Funeral homes (often family-owned) and crematories.
Work Setting: Funeral homes, hospitals, nursing homes, and cemeteries. On-call nights and weekends.
Physical Demands: Moderate. Lifting and moving bodies, standing, and working with chemicals.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 39-4031); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.
Where This Leads
Path 1: Funeral Home Owner — Run your own funeral home.
Path 2: Funeral Home Manager — Lead a team.
Path 3: Pre-Planning Counselor — Help families plan ahead.
Path 4: Grief Support — With more training.
Path 5: Educator — Teach mortuary science.
The Real Talk
What's Great:
- Deeply meaningful work
- Respected in the community
- Good ND pay
- Stable need
- Can own a business
What's Hard:
- Daily contact with death and grief
- On-call at all hours
- No ND training program
- Emotional strain
- Very few openings
Be Honest: Can you work with death and grief every day? Are you OK with on-call at any hour? Are you willing to train out of state?