Funeral director demographics and statistics in the US
Funeral director demographics research summary. Zippia estimates funeral director demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our funeral director estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about funeral directors after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 22,327 funeral directors currently employed in the United States.
- 35.3% of all funeral directors are women, while 64.7% are men.
- The average funeral director age is 48 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of funeral directors is White (77.0%), followed by Black or African American (11.9%), Hispanic or Latino (6.5%) and Unknown (2.6%).
- Funeral directors are most in-demand in Tucson, AZ.
- Belmont, CA pays an annual average wage of $44,547, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women funeral directors earned 100% of what men earned.
- Indiana is the best state for funeral directors to live.
- Funeral directors are 81% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Funeral director demographics by:
Funeral director gender statistics
35.3% of funeral directors are women and 64.7% of funeral directors are men.
- Male, 64.7%
- Female, 35.3%
Funeral director gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 64.7% |
| Female | 35.3% |
Funeral director gender pay gap
Women earn 100¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$41,102
Female income
$41,069
Funeral director gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in funeral director positions over time. Currently, 35.3% of funeral directors are female.
Funeral director gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 78.46% | 21.54% |
| 2011 | 74.74% | 25.26% |
| 2012 | 76.04% | 23.96% |
| 2013 | 76.79% | 23.21% |
| 2014 | 71.65% | 28.35% |
| 2015 | 69.62% | 30.38% |
| 2016 | 72.33% | 27.67% |
| 2017 | 73.53% | 26.47% |
| 2018 | 66.54% | 33.46% |
| 2019 | 64.78% | 35.22% |
| 2020 | 64.20% | 35.80% |
| 2021 | 64.71% | 35.29% |
Funeral director related jobs gender ratio
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Funeral Director | 65% | 35% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Funeral director demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among funeral directors is White, which makes up 77.0% of all funeral directors. Comparatively, 11.9% of funeral directors are Black or African American and 6.5% of funeral directors are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 77.0%
- Black or African American, 11.9%
- Hispanic or Latino, 6.5%
- Unknown, 2.6%
- Asian, 1.8%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Funeral director race
| Funeral director race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 77.0% |
| Black or African American | 11.9% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 6.5% |
| Unknown | 2.6% |
| Asian | 1.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Funeral director race and ethnicity over time
See how funeral director racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Funeral director race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 81.89% | 11.23% | 0.28% | 5.41% |
| 2011 | 78.88% | 13.59% | 0.96% | 5.09% |
| 2012 | 79.09% | 11.11% | 1.88% | 6.34% |
| 2013 | 83.29% | 11.45% | 0.69% | 3.99% |
| 2014 | 79.52% | 12.36% | 1.09% | 4.96% |
| 2015 | 78.63% | 12.40% | 1.19% | 5.60% |
| 2016 | 78.90% | 12.32% | 0.90% | 5.45% |
| 2017 | 79.89% | 11.31% | 0.48% | 6.54% |
| 2018 | 76.42% | 13.47% | 1.33% | 6.54% |
| 2019 | 77.23% | 10.23% | 2.19% | 8.25% |
| 2020 | 74.69% | 14.15% | 0.99% | 6.36% |
| 2021 | 77.04% | 11.89% | 1.75% | 6.53% |
Funeral director wage gap by race
According to our data, asian funeral directors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american funeral directors have the lowest average salary at $38,589.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $39,042 |
| White | $39,937 |
| Black or African American | $38,589 |
| Asian | $49,443 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $39,433 |
Funeral director age breakdown
The average age of funeral directors is 40+ years years old, representing 72% of the funeral director population.
Funeral director age breakdown
| Funeral Director Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 72% |
| 30-40 years | 19% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Funeral director educational attainment
The most common degree for funeral directors is associate degree, with 48% of funeral directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 35% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.
- Associate, 48%
- Bachelor's, 35%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Funeral directors by degree level
| Funeral director degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Associate | 48% |
| Bachelor's | 35% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Diploma | 5% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Funeral director jobs you might like
Funeral director wage gap by degree level
According to the data, funeral directors with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $41,898 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, funeral directors earn a median annual income of $41,485 compared to $38,102 for funeral directors with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $38,102 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $41,485 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,898 |
Funeral director employment statistics
Most funeral directors work for a private in the professional industry.
Company size where funeral directors work
Below, you can see the size of companies where funeral directors work.
Funeral director jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 18% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 20% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 34% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 16% |
| > 10,000 employees | 4% |
Funeral director jobs by company type
Employees with the funeral director job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most funeral directors prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Funeral director jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 3% |
| Public | 12% |
| Private | 81% |
| Government | 4% |
Funeral director jobs by industry
The most common industries for funeral directors are professional, health care and retail.
Funeral director industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Professional | 18% |
| Health Care | 13% |
| Retail | 11% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Hospitality | 6% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Media | 5% |
| Start-up | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Energy | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
| Real Estate | 4% |
| Automotive | 4% |
| Education | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Fortune 500 | 1% |
Funeral director turnover and employment statistics
Funeral director unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for funeral directors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Funeral director unemployment rate by year
| Year | Funeral director unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.18% |
| 2011 | 3.23% |
| 2012 | 2.53% |
| 2013 | 2.15% |
| 2014 | 0.72% |
| 2015 | 1.53% |
| 2016 | 0.72% |
| 2017 | 1.15% |
| 2018 | 0.25% |
| 2019 | 0.88% |
| 2020 | 1.57% |
| 2021 | 1.97% |
Average funeral director tenure
The average funeral director stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 1,952 funeral directors resumes in Zippia's database.
Funeral director tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 19% |
Funeral director LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of funeral directors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Funeral Director | 8.92% | - |
| Dog Walker | 10.47% | 5,474 |
| Horse Trainer | 10.68% | 20,881 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Resident Advisor | 11.45% | 44,792 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
Similar funeral director jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Runner | 3.67% | 15,501 |
| Dog Walker | 10.47% | 5,474 |
| Horse Trainer | 10.68% | 20,881 |
| Slot Attendant | 11.36% | 45,107 |
| Resident Advisor | 11.45% | 44,792 |
| Usher/Ticket Taker | 14.79% | 1,556 |
Foreign languages spoken by funeral directors
The most common foreign language among funeral directors is Spanish at 65.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 5.7% and French is the third-most popular at 5.7%.
- Spanish, 65.7%
- German, 5.7%
- French, 5.7%
- Russian, 5.7%
- Italian, 5.7%
- Other, 11.5%
Funeral director languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.7% |
| German | 5.7% |
| French | 5.7% |
| Russian | 5.7% |
| Italian | 5.7% |
| Other | 11.5% |
