Funeral Service and Mortuary Science
Personal & Culinary Services
Median earnings by degree level
| Degree | Median earnings | Typical range | Schools | Clear the bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $52,604 | $47,424 to $60,198 | 5 | 100% |
| Associate's Degree | $52,870 | $49,386 to $54,993 | 27 | 96% |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,578 | $55,979 to $66,118 | 6 | 100% |
"Clear the bar" is the share of programs whose graduates out-earn a typical high-school graduate (the federal earnings-premium test). Typical range is the 25th to 75th percentile of program medians.
Job outlook
Projected employment growth +3% (2025 to 2035), about 6,800 openings a year across the occupations this field commonly leads to.
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers | $55,010 | +3% | 3,000 |
| Funeral Home Managers | $78,790 | +4.1% | 2,600 |
| Embalmers | $58,780 | +0.7% | 700 |
| Crematory Operators | $43,650 | +3.1% | 500 |
Occupation pay and outlook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wages, Employment Projections). A field maps to several occupations, and the same occupations serve many majors, so these are the jobs this major commonly leads to, not positions reserved for its graduates; the openings should not be added up across majors.
Where this is studied
The 8 colleges where the most students complete a funeral service and mortuary science program, of 69 that report one. Ordered by number of completions only: this is where people study it, not a judgement about where to.
- Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service
- Dallas Institute of Funeral Service
- Jefferson State Community College
- Fayetteville Technical Community College
- Piedmont Technical College
- Worsham College of Mortuary Science
- Mid-America College of Funeral Service
- American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service
Earnings source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (release 2026-06-10), median earnings of graduates measured up to four years after completing. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise. Method: methodology. Report an error.