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Funeral & Mortuary Science

Types of Degrees Funeral & Mortuary Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Funeral & Mortuary Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	466
Associate’s Degree	1,760
Bachelor’s Degree	214
Master’s Degree	236

What Funeral & Mortuary Science Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Funeral & Mortuary Science develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Funeral & Mortuary Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Funeral & Mortuary Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Funeral & Mortuary Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Funeral & Mortuary Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
HMIS Advantage	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
FPA Software MACCS	Data base user interface and query software	—
Belmar & Associates Mortware	Data base user interface and query software	—
Custom Data Systems Sterling Management Software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Twin Tier Technologies MIMS	Data base user interface and query software	—
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite	Office suite software	—
iCIMS Talent Cloud software	Human resources software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates include:

• Embalmer
• Licensed Embalmer
• Licensed Funeral Director
• Funeral Director
• Funeral Counselor
• Funeral Prearrangement Counselor
• Arranger
• Funeral Family Service Assistant
• Funeral Prearrangement Specialist
• Funeral Arranger
• Funeral Planning Counselor
• Hospital Mortician
• Mortician
• Funeral Location Manager
• Funeral Arrangement Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	72.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	12.2%
Bachelor’s degree	9.7%
Postsecondary certificate	3.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.3%
Some college courses	0.9%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Funeral & Mortuary Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.8% of Funeral & Mortuary Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,947	72.8%
Men	729	27.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,724	64.4%
Asian	27	1.0%
Hispanic or Latino	336	12.6%
Black or African American	457	17.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	62	2.3%
Race Unknown	44	1.6%
International Students	5	0.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Funeral & Mortuary Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$44,303
4 years	$46,034
5 years	$51,822

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $51,822 — roughly 17% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Funeral & Mortuary Science Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Funeral & Mortuary Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	8
Bachelor’s	4	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Funeral & Mortuary Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Funeral & Mortuary Science graduates earn a median of $46,034 four years after completion — roughly 21% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Personal and Culinary Services	12
Casino Operations and Services	12.06
Cosmetology and Related Personal Grooming Services	12.04
Culinary Arts and Related Services	12.05
Culinary, Entertainment, and Personal Services, Other	12.99
CULINARY, ENTERTAINMENT, AND PERSONAL SERVICES	12.00

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.