What is the difference between a mortician and a funeral director?
The two terms are synonymous; most people think "funeral director" sounds less morbid. Some states have two kinds of licenses, an embalmers' license and a funeral director's license. In those states, a funeral director arranges and conducts funerals, but does not prepare human remains unless they also have an embalmers' license. Maryland currently has one license, called a Mortician's license (funeral director's licenses are still been grandfathered in Maryland, for those few who have been licensed as funeral directors since 1974 or earlier). In single-license states like Maryland, a funeral director by definition is also licensed to prepare human remains.