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General Mortuary Science

Types of Degrees General Mortuary Science Majors Are Earning

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

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	386
Associate’s Degree	1,679
Bachelor’s Degree	134
Master’s Degree	133

What General Mortuary Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Mortuary Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.4 / 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

Skills developed in a General Mortuary Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Mortuary Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Mortuary Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 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 General Mortuary Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
HMIS Advantage	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet 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	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
iCIMS Talent Cloud software	Human resources software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Mortuary Science graduates include:

• Licensed Embalmer
• Embalmer
• Funeral Director
• Licensed Funeral Director
• Funeral Counselor
• Funeral Services Embalmer
• Restorative Art Embalmer
• Arterial Embalmer
• Funeral Embalmer
• Trade Embalmer
• Anatomical Embalmer
• Certified Mortician
• Funeral Arrangement Director
• Hospital Mortician
• Cemetery Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General 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)	74.6%
Bachelor’s degree	10.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	10.3%
Postsecondary certificate	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.1%
Some college courses	0.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Mortuary Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 72.5% of General Mortuary Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,690	72.5%
Men	642	27.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,496	64.2%
Asian	26	1.1%
Hispanic or Latino	296	12.7%
Black or African American	394	16.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	17	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	55	2.4%
Race Unknown	39	1.7%
International Students	5	0.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Mortuary Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General Mortuary Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 General Mortuary Science Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for General 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	2	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 General Mortuary Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, General 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
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science	12.03
Funeral Direction/Service	12.0302
Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Other	12.0399
Mortuary Science and Embalming/Embalmer	12.0303

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.