Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants in the UK earned a median £30,894 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 21% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (119th from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £28,936 a year, men £31,670 a year.
Paid hours are long: a full-time median of 40 a week including overtime, against 37.5 across all jobs.
About 68% of the roughly 19,000 employee jobs are full-time.
Since 2021 it has risen 16.0%, from £26,628, slower than the 25.0% for all jobs.
The Annual Population Survey counts 16,700 people in this line of work across the UK.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | £475.60 | – | – | – | £12.22 |
| 20th percentile | £25,849* | £499.20 | £12.81 | £15,236* | £303.50* | £12.60 |
| 25th percentile | £26,907 | £517.80 | £13.06 | £17,616* | £375.90* | £12.75 |
| 30th percentile | £27,323 | £533.50 | £13.35 | £20,614* | £418.00* | £13.02 |
| 40th percentile | £29,095 | £568.00 | £13.99 | £24,747* | £481.70 | £13.37 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £30,894 | £593.70 | £14.41 | £27,020 | £520.20 | £13.92 |
| 60th percentile | £32,243 | £614.70 | £14.89 | £29,197 | £566.40 | £14.49 |
| 70th percentile | £33,384 | £658.20 | £15.28 | £31,790 | £604.90 | £15.12 |
| 75th percentile | – | £669.50 | £15.82 | £32,724 | £616.60 | £15.26 |
| 80th percentile | – | – | – | – | £657.50* | £15.93 |
| Mean | £31,205 | £618.00 | £15.07 | £25,578 | £499.50 | £14.73 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £26,628 | £519.20 | £12.62 | £23,034 | £449.40 | 18 |
| 2022 revised | £28,232 | £559.50 | £13.10 | £23,330* | £475.20 | 20* |
| 2023 revised | £27,921 | £552.60 | £13.49 | £24,733* | £469.00 | 19 |
| 2024 revised | £29,877* | £607.50 | £14.52 | £25,584 | £529.80 | 18 |
| 2025 provisional | £30,894 | £593.70 | £14.41 | £27,020 | £520.20 | 19 |
Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants by region
UK: 16,700 (± 5,000), April 2025 to March 2026.
Annual Population Survey (Nomis)
What undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants do
Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants make funeral arrangements for clients, prepare the deceased for burial or cremation, and supervise and assist the proceedings of funerals. (ONS SOC 2020, 6138)
Also covers: crematorium technician, embalmer, funeral director, pall bearer, undertaker, assistant superintendent, cemetery attendant, cemetery worker, crematorium assistant, crematorium attendant, crematorium operator, funeral administrator, funeral arranger, funeral assistant, funeral bearer, funeral operative, mortuary assistant and mortuary attendant (30 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Collects body of deceased and assists with the completion of necessary documents
- Interviews relative or representative of the deceased to discuss preparations for funeral
- Liaises with cemetery or crematorium authorities on behalf of client
- Washes and injects body with sterilising fluid to prevent deterioration prior to funeral, and applies cosmetics, wax and other materials to restore normal appearance
- Provides hearse and funeral cars and leads funeral procession
- Controls the operations of crematoriums and cemeteries and processes legal documentation
There are no formal academic requirements although some employers require candidates to possess GCSEs/S grades. A full driving licence is often required. Training is provided on-the-job. Professional qualifications in funeral directing and embalming are available.
Related
Caring personal services (median £28,513) · Care escorts · Senior care workers · salary percentile · Average weekly hours worked in the UK · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026