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Funeral Service & Mortuary Scienceat Wayne State University

Graduates earn $52,829/yr in their first year — about 8.0% above the national Funeral Service & Mortuary Science average. Base-case 10-year earnings $549K; scenarios range from $519K to $550K depending on AI disruption.

Detroit, MI Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
43 AVERAGE
43
Optimistic
43
Pessimistic
Earnings
$52,829
1-year post-graduation
ROI
8.2x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$549K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Low
24% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Wayne State University

Wayne State’s Funeral Service and Mortuary Science program offers a truly specialized path, deeply embedded in a vital community service. Your potential earnings reflect a strong regional demand and established pipelines into Michigan’s numerous funeral homes, where local program reputation can significantly aid placement. This field's inherently human-centric nature—requiring empathy, personal connection, and complex emotional labor—ensures your skills are profoundly insulated from automation risks, guaranteeing enduring career stability. Graduates frequently secure roles within the robust network of independent and corporate funeral homes across Detroit and the wider state, often leveraging strong clinical partnerships forged during their studies. To maximize your post-graduation success, prioritize building a strong professional network through every internship and community engagement opportunity; these relationships are invaluable in a close-knit industry.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$519K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple9.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$549K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple9.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$550K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score43/100
Earnings Multiple9.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Wayne State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Funeral Service & Mortuary Science graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Funeral home managers
+4.1% 10-yr growth · 2,600 openings/yr
$76,830/yr
Moderate
2
Embalmers
+1.3% 10-yr growth · 600 openings/yr
$56,280/yr
Low
3
Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
+3.1% 10-yr growth · 3,200 openings/yr
$49,800/yr
Low
4
Crematory operators
+3.3% 10-yr growth · 600 openings/yr
$42,880/yr
Low
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Funeral Service & Mortuary Science

How Wayne State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
MN · Public
53
DW Score
$60K
1-yr earn
9.6x
ROI
Mid-America College of Funeral Service
IN · Private nonprofit
42
DW Score
$56K
1-yr earn
6.1x
ROI
University of Central Oklahoma
OK · Public
46
DW Score
$46K
1-yr earn
13.8x
ROI
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
OH · Private nonprofit
36
DW Score
$44K
1-yr earn
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
IL · Public
34
DW Score
$34K
1-yr earn
9.9x
ROI
Also at Wayne State University

Other top programs at Wayne State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Wayne State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

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 →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Funeral Service & Mortuary Science at Wayne State University

What does a 43/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Funeral Service & Mortuary Science at Wayne State University?

At 43/100, the financial outlook is modest. Higher-scoring Funeral Service & Mortuary Science programs exist, though non-financial factors may justify this choice.