Funeral Service & Mortuary Science
Students study embalming techniques, funeral service management, grief counseling, and the legal and ethical aspects of caring for the deceased and their families. Graduates typically pursue careers as funeral directors, embalmers, and mortuary managers at funeral homes and cremation services. This specialized profession offers stable employment with the opportunity to provide meaningful support during families' most difficult moments.
What Funeral Service & Mortuary Science graduates do
Your work in funeral service will center on providing comfort and structure during a family’s most difficult moments. As a funeral arranger or mortician, you'll be the primary point of contact, sitting with grieving families to plan every detail of a service, from writing obituaries to coordinating logistics. Alternatively, you might focus on the technical, hands-on work of an embalmer, using your knowledge of anatomy and chemistry to prepare the deceased for viewing, or as a crematory operator managing the process with dignity and precision.
Most careers begin with an apprenticeship, leading to licensure as a funeral director or embalmer. With experience, you can advance to a funeral home manager role, overseeing all business operations from staffing to finances—a path with steady growth. The core of this profession is highly resistant to automation. AI cannot replicate the empathy needed to guide a family through loss or the delicate, physical work of an embalmer. While management roles will use AI to streamline administrative tasks, the fundamental, human-centric nature of these jobs remains secure, making this a stable career choice.
Closely-related majors include Educational Administration, Outdoor Education, and Archeology, which share overlapping career paths and skill sets.
Where Funeral Service & Mortuary Science graduates work
Common career paths for Funeral Service & Mortuary Science graduates, with median salaries, projected growth, and AI exposure per role. Roughly 7,000 combined openings per year across these roles.
| Role | Median Pay | Annual Openings | 10-yr Growth | AI Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Funeral home managers
|
$76,830
$60K–$99K
|
2,600 | +4.1% | Moderate · 43% |
|
Embalmers
|
$56,280
$46K–$65K
|
600 | +1.3% | Low · 4% |
|
Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
|
$49,800
$38K–$67K
|
3,200 | +3.1% | Low · 16% |
|
Crematory operators
|
$42,880
$36K–$50K
|
600 | +3.3% | Low · 4% |
Best schools for Funeral Service & Mortuary Science
Schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score (earnings × AI resilience × ROI × job-market size). Top 6 of 6.
| # | School | DW Score | 1-yr Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 |
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit
|
36 | $44,110 | — |
| 6 |
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL · Public
|
34 | $33,688 | 9.9x |
Highest Earnings Top 5
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
MN |
$60,367 |
| Mid-America College of Funeral Service
IN |
$56,427 |
| Wayne State University
MI |
$52,829 |
| University of Central Oklahoma
OK |
$45,804 |
| Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
OH |
$44,110 |
Best ROI Top 5
| University of Central Oklahoma
OK |
13.8x |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL |
9.9x |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
MN |
9.6x |
| Wayne State University
MI |
8.2x |
| Mid-America College of Funeral Service
IN |
6.1x |
Related majors
Similar fields of study often offered alongside Funeral Service & Mortuary Science.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Funeral Service & Mortuary Science offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Funeral Service & Mortuary Science trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Funeral Service & Mortuary Science
What do Funeral Service & Mortuary Science graduates make in their first year?
Across 6 schools, Funeral Service & Mortuary Science graduates earn an average of $48,871 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $33,688 to $60,367 depending on the school.
How exposed is Funeral Service & Mortuary Science to AI disruption?
Funeral Service & Mortuary Science is rated "Low" for AI automation risk, with 24% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means relatively few career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Funeral Service & Mortuary Science program?
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities leads all 6 programs with a DegreeOutlook Score of 53/100. Graduates earn $60,367/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.
What's the ROI on a Funeral Service & Mortuary Science degree?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 9.5x tuition. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.