Funeral & Mortuary Science
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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:
- 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:
- 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:
- 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?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of mortuary science majors is as follows:
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.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Funeral & Mortuary Science
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.
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!
Top Ranking Lists for Funeral & Mortuary Science
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Trades Related to Funeral & Mortuary Science
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.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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