Cemetery worker

Cemetery workers prepare and maintain graves, burial plots, memorial sites and gardens.

Also known as: Gravedigger, cemetery operative

• Starter salary£23,000 a year
• Experienced£28,000 a year
• Typical hours40 to 45 a week

What you'll do

As a cemetery worker, you would:

• measure and mark out grave spaces
• dig and prepare graves, using a mechanical excavator and hand tools
• fill in plots after burial services have ended
• maintain lawns, hedges, trees and plants around the cemetery
• keep pathways clear, empty bins and remove litter
• check headstones for damage and remove those that are unsafe
• keep work records up to date

Working environment

You could work at a cemetery.

Your working environment may be physically demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• the ability to operate and control equipment
• the ability to work well with others
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• to be flexible and open to change
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
• the ability to work well with your hands
• knowledge of public safety and security
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a cemetery worker

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• applying directly

College

Although not essential, you could take a horticultural course at college to get some of the skills and knowledge needed to do this job.

A course like this would give you skills in maintaining green spaces, landscaping and how to use tools and equipment safely. Once working, you're employer would give you specific training in preparing burial plots and care for memorials.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Direct application

You can apply directly for a job as a cemetery worker, if you've got some of the personal qualities needed for this role. For example, you must be able to deal sensitively with bereaved people.

You don't need any particular qualifications, although employers may ask for GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English.

Experience in landscaping, gardening, construction or use of a mechanical mini digger can be useful.

If your application is successful, your employer will arrange for you to follow the Cemetery Operatives Training Scheme .

Restrictions and requirements

You may need a driving licence for some jobs if working with heavy plant machinery, like mechanical diggers.

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a team supervisor. You could also train to work in cemetery, crematorium and natural burial management.

You could use your skills to move into other careers, like:

• landscaping
• gardening
• horticulture

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) for training opportunities, and information and advice about best working practices.

Guides for this industry

• Beauty & Wellbeing: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleCrematorium technician
• Job roleFuneral director
• Job roleGardener
• Job roleGroundsperson
• Job roleEmbalmer

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0