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Funeral Director

$49,800
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Arrange funerals, prepare bodies, handle paperwork, and support grieving families through the process.

Where you work

Funeral homes

The hours

On-call, including nights and weekends

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$49,800
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~3,200
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+3%
About average
Working in the U.S.
27,500
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree + state license.

License or certification

Requires a state license, typically earned through a degree, an exam, and a supervised apprenticeship.

What it takes

CompassionOrganizationComposureAttention to detail

The honest take

Steady, recession-resistant work that asks for real emotional steadiness alongside the training.

Standard Occupational Classification 39-4031. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.