Champion Expanding Encyclopedia of Mortuary Practices
Dedicated to the furtherance of knowledge and education for the funeral service profession, the Champion Expanding Encyclopedia of Mortuary Practices is published and disseminated to the embalming/funeral service profession and related professions in an effort to educate, inform and advance the knowledge and expertise of practitioners in the profession. All articles are of a timely nature, scientifically based exhaustively researched and highly relevant to the profession and industry. The Champion Expanding Encyclopedia of Mortuary Practices, to this day, sets the standard for Excellence in research publications for the embalming/funeral service profession.
A link to view and print complete article of an Encyclopedia, (in PDF format), is provided at the bottom of each Abstract. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader to view the PDF.
The Morgue
https://morgue.kckcc.edu/wordpress/?page_id=240
The need for a computerized indexing system to support students of Mortuary Science has been apparent for many years. The Morgue attempts to provide students, scholars and researchers with an on-line tool specifically targeted at the literature in the field of Mortuary Science. The database can be searched by author’s name, journal title, article title and subject. The Morgue does not index articles relating to association news, conventions, interviews, features, reader’s forums, advertisements, classified ads, obituaries, or briefs.
Gale Interactive: Human Anatomy
Firefox, Chrome, Edge or Safari REQUIRED are required for use. Interactive Anatomy allows users to have a virtual 3D dissection of the human body to better understand and visualize concepts of human anatomy.
The NLM Visible Human Project
The NLM Visible Human Project has created publicly-available complete, anatomically detailed, three-dimensional representations of a human male body and a human female body. Specifically, the VHP provides a public-domain library of cross-sectional cryosection, CT, and MRI images obtained from one male cadaver and one female cadaver. The Visible Man data set was publicly released in 1994 and the Visible Woman in 1995.
The data sets were designed to serve as (1) a reference for the study of human anatomy, (2) public-domain data for testing medical imaging algorithms, and (3) a test bed and model for the construction of network-accessible image libraries. The VHP data sets have been applied to a wide range of educational, diagnostic, treatment planning, virtual reality, artistic, mathematical, and industrial uses. About 4,000 licensees from 66 countries were authorized to access the datasets. As of 2019, a license is no longer required to access the VHP datasets.
Download the VHP image data from https://datadiscovery.nlm.nih.gov/Images/Visible-Human-Project/ux2j-9i9a/about_data (If you’re looking at an archived version of this page and the hyperlink to the left doesn't work, copy and paste the URL into your browser.)
PubMed
PubMed® comprises more than 38 million citations for biomedical literature from MEDLINE, life science journals, and online books. Citations may include links to full text content from PubMed Central and publisher web sites. Use the search term: mortuary science.
Occupational Outlook Handbook; Funeral Service Workers, (Apr 18, 2025)
Summary
The median annual wage for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers was $49,800 in May 2024.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of funeral service workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 5,800 openings for funeral service workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
State & Area Data
Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for funeral service workers.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of funeral service workers with similar occupations.
Funeral service workers organize and manage the details of a ceremony honoring a deceased person.
Duties
Funeral service workers typically do the following:
Offer counsel and comfort to families and friends of the deceased
Provide information on funeral service options
Arrange for removal of the deceased's body
Prepare the remains (the deceased's body) for the funeral
File death certificates and other legal documents with appropriate authorities
Funeral service workers help to determine the locations, dates, and times of visitations (wakes), funerals or memorial services, burials, and cremations. They handle other details as well, such as helping the family decide whether the body should be buried, entombed, or cremated. This decision is critical because funeral practices vary among cultures and religions.
Most funeral service workers attend to the administrative aspects of a person's death, including submitting papers to state officials to receive a death certificate. They also may help resolve insurance claims, apply for funeral benefits, or notify the Social Security Administration & or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of the death.
Many funeral service workers help clients who wish to plan their own funerals in advance, to ensure that their needs are met and to ease the planning burden on surviving family members.
Funeral service workers also may provide information and resources, such as support groups, to help grieving friends and family. The following are examples of types of funeral service workers:
Funeral home managers oversee the general operations of a funeral home business. They perform a variety of duties, such as planning and allocating the resources of the funeral home, managing staff, and handling marketing and public relations.
Morticians and funeral arrangers (also known as funeral directors or, historically, undertakers) plan the details of a funeral. They often prepare obituaries and arrange for pallbearers and clergy services. If a burial is chosen, they schedule the opening and closing of a grave with a representative of the cemetery. If cremation is chosen, they coordinate the process with the crematory. (Data covering workers who perform cremations are provided in a separate occupation not covered in detail: crematory operators.)
Morticians and funeral arrangers also prepare the sites of all services and provide transportation for the deceased and mourners. In addition, they arrange the shipment of bodies out of state or out of country for final disposition. (Data covering workers who may assist with these tasks are provided in a separate occupation not covered in detail: funeral attendant.)
Finally, these workers handle administrative duties. For example, they often apply for the transfer of any pensions, insurance policies, or annuities on behalf of survivors.
Many morticians and funeral arrangers embalm bodies. Embalming is a cosmetic and temporary preservative process through which the body is prepared for a viewing by family and friends of the deceased. (Data covering those who specialize in this work are provided in a separate occupation not covered in detail: embalmers.)
Work Environment
Funeral home managers held about 35,800 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of funeral home managers were as follows:
Self-employed workers 58%
Death care services 39
Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers held about 25,300 jobs in 2023. The largest employers of morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers were as follows:
Death care services 95%
Self-employed workers 3
Funeral services traditionally take place in a house of worship, in a funeral home, or at a gravesite or crematory. However, some families prefer to hold the service in their home or in a social center.
Funeral service workers typically perform their duties in a funeral home. Workers also may operate a merchandise display room, crematory, or cemetery, which may be on the funeral home premises. The work is often stressful, because workers must arrange the various details of a funeral within 24 to 72 hours of a death. In addition, they may be responsible for managing multiple funerals on the same day.
Although workers may come into contact with bodies that have contagious diseases, the work is not dangerous if proper safety and health regulations are followed. Those working in crematories are exposed to high temperatures and must wear appropriate protective clothing.
Work Schedules
Most funeral service workers are employed full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They are often on call; irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, are common.
How to Become a Funeral Service Worker
An associate's degree in a funeral service or mortuary science education program is the education typically required to become a funeral service worker. Most employers require applicants to be 21 years old, have at least 2 years of formal postsecondary education, have supervised training, and pass a state licensing exam.
Education
An associate's degree in a funeral service or mortuary science education program is typically required for all funeral service workers to enter the occupation. Courses usually cover topics such as ethics, grief counseling, funeral service, and business law. Accredited programs also include courses in embalming and restorative techniques.
The American Board of Funeral Service Education & (ABFSE) accredits funeral service and mortuary science programs, most of which offer a 2-year associates degree at community colleges. Some programs offer a bachelor's degree.
Although an associate's degree is typically required, some employers prefer applicants to have a bachelor's degree. Common fields of degree include mortuary science, psychology, and business.
High school students can prepare to become a funeral service worker by taking classes in biology, chemistry, business, and public speaking.
Students may gain relevant experience working part-time or summer jobs in a funeral home.
Training
Those studying to be morticians and funeral arrangers must complete training, usually lasting 1 to 3 years, under the direction of a licensed funeral director or manager. The training, sometimes called an internship or an apprenticeship, may be completed before, during, or after graduating from a funeral service or mortuary science program and passing a national board exam.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Most states and Washington, DC, require workers to be licensed. An exception is Colorado, which offers a voluntary certification program. Although licensing laws and examinations vary by state, most applicants must meet the following criteria:
Be 21 years old
Complete an ABFSE accredited funeral service or mortuary science education program
Pass a state and/or national board exam
Serve an internship lasting 1 to 3 years
Working in multiple states requires multiple licenses. For specific requirements, contact each applicable state licensing board.
Most states require funeral directors to earn continuing education credits to keep their licenses.
The Cremation Association of North America (CANA), International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA), and the National Funeral Directors Association & (NFDA) offer crematory certification designations. Many states require certification for those who will perform cremations. For specific requirements, contact your state board or the relevant professional organizations.
Work Experience in a Related Occupation
Funeral home managers typically have multiple years of experience working as a funeral director or mortician before becoming managers.
Important Qualities
Business skills. Knowledge of financial statements and the ability to run a funeral home efficiently and profitably are important for funeral directors and managers.
Compassion. Death is a delicate and emotional matter. Funeral service workers must be able to treat clients with care and sympathy in their time of loss.
Interpersonal skills. Funeral service workers should have good interpersonal skills. When speaking with families, for example, they must be tactful and able to explain and discuss all matters about services provided.
Time-management skills. Funeral service workers must be able to handle numerous tasks for multiple customers, often over a short timeframe.
The median annual wage for funeral home managers was $76,830 in May 2024. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $45,820, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $132,470.
The median annual wage for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers was $49,800 in May 2024. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,470, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $85,940.
In May 2024, the median annual wages for funeral home managers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Death care services $76,890 In May 2024, the median annual wages for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
Death care services $49,670
Most funeral service workers are employed full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. They are often on call; irregular hours, including evenings and weekends are common.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of funeral service workers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 5,800 openings for funeral service workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Funeral service workers will be needed to assist the growing number of people prearranging end-of-life services. This demand will be constrained by consumers increasingly preferring cremation, which costs less and requires fewer workers than do traditional funeral arrangements. However, since most cremations still involve a memorial service or funeral, funeral home managers are expected to be needed to guide families and loved ones through the death care process and to plan end-of-life events.
Employment projections data for funeral service workers, 2023-33
Funeral service workers
SOC Code:
Employment, 2023: 61,000
Projected Employment, 2033: 63,500
Change, 2023-33 (Percent): 4
Change, 2023-33 (Numeric): 2,500
Employment By Industry:
Funeral home managers
SOC Code: 11-9171
Employment, 2023: 35,800
Projected Employment, 2033: 37,400
Change, 2023-33 (Percent): 5
Change, 2023-33 (Numeric): 1,600
Employment By Industry: Get data
Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
SOC Code: 39-4031
Employment, 2023: 25,300
Projected Employment, 2033: 26,100
Change, 2023-33 (Percent): 3
Change, 2023-33 (Numeric): 900
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
State & Area Data
Occupational Employ ment anchyé Statistics (OEWS)
The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link below goes to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. Use the dropdown boxes to select an occupation.
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Profiles
Projections Central
Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.org. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state's websites where these data may be retrieved.
CareerOneStop
CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool & to search for wages by zip code.
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of funeral service workers.
Administrative Services and Facilities Managers
Job Duties: Administrative services and facilities managers plan, direct, and coordinate activities that help an organization run efficiently.
Entry-Level Education: Bachelor's degree
2024 Median Pay: $106,880
Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers
Job Duties: Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers plan programs to generate interest in products or services.
Entry-Level Education: Bachelor's degree
2024 Median Pay: $159,660
Human Resources Managers
Job Duties: Human resources managers plan, coordinate, and direct the administrative functions of an organization.
Entry-Level Education: Bachelor's degree
2024 Median Pay: $140,030
Physicians and Surgeons
Job Duties: Physicians and surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses and address health maintenance.
Entry-Level Education: Doctoral or professional degree
2024 Median Pay:
This wage is equal to or greater than $239,200 per year.
Psychologists
Job Duties:
Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior by observing, interpreting, and recording how people relate to one another and to their environments.
Entry-Level Education: See How to Become One
2024 Median Pay: $94,310
Social Workers
Job Duties:
Entry-Level Education: See How to Become One
2024 Median Pay: $61,330
Contacts for More Information
For more information about funeral service workers, including accredited mortuary science programs, visit
National Funeral Directors Association E?
For scholarships and educational programs in funeral service and mortuary science, visit
American Board of Funeral Service Education
National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc. ?
For information about crematories, visit
Cremation Association of North America E?
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
Candidates should contact their state board for specific licensing requirements.
O·NET
Funeral Home Managers
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Last Modified Date: Friday, April 18, 2025
