Other Management Occupations

How to become a Funeral Home Manager

Official title: Funeral Home Managers

Also called: Arranging Funeral Director, Funeral Director, Funeral Home Location Manager, Funeral Home Manager, Funeral Home Owner, Funeral Service Manager, Licensed Funeral Director, Location Manager, Mortuary Operations Manager (Mortuary Ops Manager), Prearranged Funeral Sales Manager

Plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes. Includes activities such as determining prices for services or merchandise and managing the facilities of funeral homes.

Main tasks

Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
Schedule funerals, burials, or cremations.
Deliver death certificates to medical facilities or offices to obtain signatures from legally authorized persons.
Offer counsel and comfort to families and friends of the deceased.
Monitor funeral service operations to ensure that they comply with applicable policies, regulations, and laws.
Direct and supervise work of embalmers, funeral attendants, death certificate clerks, cosmetologists, or other staff.
Complete and maintain records, such as state-required documents, tracking documents, or product inventories.
Sell funeral services, products, or merchandise to clients.

How to become one

An associate's degree in funeral service or mortuary science is the education typically required to become a funeral service worker. Most employers and state licensing laws 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.

Typical education to start: Associate's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Director, Funeral.
College: Science degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
Certificate or associate's degree: Associate's degree. Programs such as Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General; Funeral Direction/Service; Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Other
Licence: A licence is required in 45 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $78,790 a year The middle half earn $61,890 to $103,940.
About 34,800 people work in this job now, and about 36,200 are projected by 2035. (+4.1%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Funeral Home Manager?

How much does a Funeral Home Manager earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $78,790 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $61,890 to $103,940.

Is a Funeral Home Manager a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 34,800 to about 36,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Funeral Home Manager?

Not always. 58% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Science degrees; Associate's degree; Director, Funeral.

Will AI change the work of a Funeral Home Manager?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.