How To Become A Licensed Funeral Director And Embalmer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a licensed funeral director and embalmer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Jzyk Ennis Ph.D.

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a licensed funeral director and embalmer. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.56 an hour? That's $38,615 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 8% and produce 5,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a licensed funeral director and embalmer?

Dr. Jzyk Ennis Ph.D.

President, American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE)

The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly been an interesting time for all of education. To the specific question about employment forecasts, there is a significant need for licensed funeral service professionals across the United States. Before the pandemic, there are many areas that cannot find licensed help to fill the employment vacancies created by those who are retiring. Data for 2020 will not be collected and analyzed until 2021.

At this time, we have no reason to believe that the number of new enrollees and graduates in our ABFSE accredited programs will be significantly impacted by the pandemic in 2020. What we do as funeral professionals, and the job function of graduates in 2020 (and beyond), has not really changed due to the pandemic. We still care for the living by taking care of the dead. We always teach (and businesses should practice) universal precautions by wearing personal protective equipment when in contact with decedents. We teach our students to treat every decedent as if they had an infectious disease to protect their own health. While no research has been conducted, I do believe that funeral service professionals are more at-risk in the pandemic with contact they may have with the living rather than the dead.

In summary, the outlook for licensed funeral service professionals is strong. The basic job function of our graduates is the same as before the pandemic, and the American Board of Funeral Service accredited funeral service education programs continue to prepare graduates for licensed funeral service practice during this pandemic and beyond.

ScoreLicensed Funeral Director And EmbalmerUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,615

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.20%

Asian 1.74%

Black or African American 12.70%

Hispanic or Latino 6.28%

Unknown 2.54%

White 76.54%

Gender

female 42.07%

male 57.93%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.3

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a licensed funeral director and embalmer

Explore licensed funeral director and embalmer education requirements

Most common licensed funeral director and embalmer degrees

Associate

54.0 %

Bachelor's

32.7 %

Diploma

5.4 %

Start to develop specific licensed funeral director and embalmer skills

Skills	Percentages
Removals	37.99%
Client Families	14.64%
Funeral Arrangements	10.50%
Funeral Services	8.81%
Memorial Services	6.88%

Complete relevant licensed funeral director and embalmer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New licensed funeral directors and embalmer learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a licensed funeral director and embalmer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real licensed funeral director and embalmer resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed licensed funeral director and embalmer usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you don't need to pass an exam to become a licensed licensed funeral director and embalmer in most of states. 41 states require licensed funeral directors and embalmer to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Funeral Director
Maryland	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	FUNERAL DIRECTOR
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Funeral Director
California	Degree required	State exam required	Funeral Director
Connecticut	-	-	Funeral Director

Research licensed funeral director and embalmer duties and responsibilities

Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.
Certify crematory operator; participate on removals; and assist on calling hours and funerals.
Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.

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