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Funeral & Mortuary Science Major

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Funeral & Mortuary Science

1,541 Associate's Degrees Annually
211 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#22 in Popularity (Associate's)
$57,620 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Funeral & Mortuary Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many funeral and mortuary science graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Associate Degree 1,541
Undergraduate Certificate 391
Bachelor’s Degree 211
Basic Certificate 211

What Funeral & Mortuary Science Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, mortuary science majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Mortuary Science Majors

Mortuary Science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Mortuary Science Majors

A major in mortuary science prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Abilities for Mortuary Science Majors

Mortuary Science majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

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  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

What Can You Do With a Funeral & Mortuary Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with mortuary science:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Funeral Service Managers 7.0% $79,180
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors 3.8% $52,650

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Funeral & Mortuary Science?

1,541 Associate's Degrees Annually
71% Percent Women
32% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
Funeral and Mortuary Science runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #22 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 1,541 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. The major attracts more women than men. About 71% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of mortuary science majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 14
Black or African American 259
Hispanic or Latino 183
White 1,010
International Students 2
Other Races/Ethnicities 73

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Mortuary Science. About 0.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

  • Jamaica
  • Venezuela
  • Japan

How Much Do Funeral & Mortuary Science Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Mortuary Science majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $46,640 to $93,820 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for a Funeral & Mortuary Science Major  ( 46640 to 93820 )
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Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some degrees associated with mortuary science may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for mortuary science careers below.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 3.0%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 9.4%
Some College Courses 2.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 64.0%
Bachelor’s Degree 13.5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. 4.0%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. 4.5%

Online Funeral & Mortuary Science Programs

In 2020-2021, 78 schools offered a mortuary science program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 21 6
Certificate (2-4 Years) 2 0
Associate’s Degree 67 7
Bachelor’s Degree 0 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 0 0
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Funeral & Mortuary Science Worth It?

The median salary for a mortuary science grad is $57,620 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 44% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $354,400 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to mortuary science.

Major Number of Grads
Cosmetology 107,895
Culinary Arts 19,784
Casino Operations and Services 192
Other Personal & Culinary Services 81

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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