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Occupations / Funeral Workers

Funeral Workers

Funeral Workers prepare bodies for viewing and burial, arrange and conduct funerals, and perform other specialist funereal services.

OtherANZSCO 4513
5,298People employed
+10% ▲Growth to 2035
67%Work full time
52Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 4513.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

interviewing families and associates of the deceased to assist with funeral arrangements such as the selection of coffin, type of service and publication of death noticesadvising on funeral costs and welfare provisionscollecting bodies from mortuariesensuring death certificates have been issued, burial and cremation certificates processed and that other legal requirements are metpreparing bodies for viewing and burial by washing, draining body fluids, applying padding and cosmetics, dressing bodies and placing them in coffinsliaising with clergy and cemetery and crematorium staff
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 4513 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 500 more people in funeral workers by 2035 ▲

The field grew 7.2% in the year to February 2026, adding about 400 workers. Most of the jobs are in NSW and QLD, with VIC third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 4513.More about our sources: How we check our facts
5.1k2025
5.3k2030 PROJ.
5.6k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

There is no single way in. 37% trained through VET, 13% hold a degree.

Both paths are common in this field. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 4513. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

SIF40125Certificate IV

Certificate IV in Funeral Services

Funeral Services.

See 2 providers
SIF40213Certificate IV

Certificate IV in Embalming

Funeral Services.

See 1 provider
SIF20113Certificate II

Certificate II in Funeral Operations

Funeral Services.

See 0 providers
See all 5 mapped courses
SIF40125Certificate IV in Funeral Services · 2 providers
SIF40213Certificate IV in Embalming · 1 provider
SIF20113Certificate II in Funeral Operations · 0 providers
SIF30113Certificate III in Cemetery and Crematorium Operations · 0 providers
SIF30313Certificate III in Funeral Operations · 0 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

5,298 Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 4513.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

NSW1.5k
QLD1.2k
VIC1.2k
WA0.8k
SA0.2k
TAS0.1k
ACT0.1k
NT0.1k