Funeral Director

A funeral director manages all arrangements and logistics for funeral services, from initial client consultation through to the ceremony and burial or cremation. They coordinate with families, regulatory bodies, and service providers to ensure compliance with Australian death registration requirements and deliver respectful, dignified services tailored to cultural and religious practices.

Consult with bereaved families to establish service preferences, budget, and cultural or religious requirements for the funeral ceremony. Complete statutory death notification forms and lodge documentation with the relevant State or Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Liaise with medical practitioners and coroners to obtain medical certificates of cause of death and coronal referrals where required. Arrange transportation of the deceased from place of death to the funeral home using specialist vehicles and equipment. Prepare the deceased for viewing or funeral service, including embalming, dressing, and placement in casket or other receptacle. Coordinate with crematorium or burial ground operators to schedule and confirm disposal arrangements in accordance with local council and environmental regulations. Prepare and present itemised quotes for funeral services and merchandise (caskets, flowers, catering) in line with Australian Consumer Law transparency requirements. Arrange catering, flowers, music, clergy or celebrants, and other service providers according to family wishes and budget.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You're managing grief and distress every single day. Families are at their worst, emotions run high, and you're often their first contact when they're shocked and confused. You'll also handle bodies regularly, including decomposed remains and coronial cases. The work is emotionally draining without much psychological support, and you're on call for deaths that happen outside business hours.

Funeral directors concentrate in capital cities and larger regional centres where funeral homes operate. In reality, remote areas have few funeral homes, so job availability depends heavily on which city you're willing to work in. Most positions are in independent family businesses or larger chains like Metcalfe and White.

• Active Listeningcore
• Advise on funeral servicescore
• Appointment Schedulingcore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Customer Needs Assessmentcore
• Dress bodiescore
• Embalm bodiescore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Invoicing and Billing Administrationcore
• Liaise with local authoritiescore
• Manage funeral equipmentcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Prepare ceremonial locationscore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Relate empatheticallycore
• Show diplomacycore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Transfer coffinscore
• Trauma-Informed Communicationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Administer appointments
• Apply health and safety standards
• Apply organisational techniques
• Assist with funeral planning
• Complaint Handling
• Delivery Scheduling
• Greet guests
• Incident Reporting
• Lift heavy weights
• Maintain inventory of tools
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Multitasking
• Provide directions to guests
• Risk Identification
• Stakeholder Communication
• Supplier Communication
• Work ergonomically

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026