Funeral Director/Mortician
$75K- — Embalming certification
- — Funeral directing license (state-specific)
- — Grief counseling skills
Army 57F (Mortuary Affairs Specialist). 210 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $65K–$95K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Industry tech roles your 57F background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
What 57F training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
Vets Who Code is a free, full-time software engineering accelerator for veterans, active duty, and military spouses. We close the fundamentals — terminal, web platform, AI tooling, portfolio projects — so the rest of this list becomes specialization, not square one.
See VWC Programs →Cognitive skills your 57F training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Quickly determining the order in which to process deceased personnel based on factors like condition, location, and identification potential under stressful conditions.
Swiftly assessing and ranking tasks or projects based on urgency, importance, and available resources in dynamic environments.
Meticulously following strict protocols and regulations for handling, documenting, and processing deceased personnel to ensure accuracy, respect, and legal compliance.
Adhering to established guidelines, standards, and legal requirements in highly regulated industries or sensitive operations.
Maintaining constant awareness of the surrounding environment, including potential hazards, logistical challenges, and security threats, while managing graves registration operations.
Monitoring and interpreting complex situations to anticipate potential problems, adapt strategies, and make informed decisions in fast-paced environments.
Coordinating and directing teams of personnel to ensure efficient and respectful handling of deceased individuals, often under emotionally challenging circumstances.
Leading and coordinating diverse teams to achieve common goals, ensuring clear communication, efficient workflow, and emotional support in stressful situations.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
You've been responsible for the dignified handling and movement of personnel under difficult circumstances. As a logistics coordinator, you can leverage those skills to oversee supply chains, manage transportation, and ensure smooth operations.
Adjacent · MatchYour experience demands strict adherence to protocols and regulations. As a compliance officer, you'll be responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing compliance programs to prevent illegal, unethical, or improper conduct.
Adjacent · MatchYou have experience coordinating sensitive operations. You can use that experience in disaster planning, response coordination, and resource allocation to protect communities during crises.
Adjacent · MatchUp to 3 semester hours recommended in Mortuary Science
Requires study of advanced medical procedures, pharmacology, and ambulance operations. Additionally, practical skills in patient assessment, airway management, and splinting would need to be demonstrated.
Needs supplemental training on specific OSHA regulations related to general industry standards, hazard communication, and machine guarding.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Mortuary Affairs Tracking System (JMATS) | Inventory management and tracking software for sensitive items (e.g., healthcare, pharmaceuticals, high-value assets) | Operations |
| Defense DNA Registry | Commercial DNA identification and database systems (e.g., used in forensics, genealogy) | Operations |
| Automated Decedent Affairs System (ADAS) | Case management systems for funeral homes and mortuary services | Operations |
| Cold Chain Management System | Temperature controlled storage and logistics for perishable goods (e.g., pharmaceutical, food distribution) | Operations |
| Portable Morgue Units (PMU) | Mobile refrigeration units for temporary storage of deceased individuals (e.g., disaster response, medical examiner use) | Operations |
| Government Transportation Request (GTR) System | Corporate travel booking and expense management systems (e.g., Concur, Egencia) | Operations |
Pair this guide with the VWC AI-powered translator: drop in your service record, get back ATS-optimized civilian resume language tuned to the tech roles above.