Funeral home managers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $49,700 | $23.90 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $78,790 | $37.88 |
| Mean (average) | $92,840 | $44.63 |
| 90th percentile | $156,400 | $75.19 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Funeral home managers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 46 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $63,010 | $43,790 | $118,670 | 490 | 2.61 |
| Arizona | $61,420 | $50,570 | $114,810 | 200 | 0.7 |
| Arkansas | $60,260 | $35,990 | $113,630 | 230 | 1.95 |
| California | $82,370 | $60,770 | $137,780 | 760 | 0.46 |
| Colorado | Data unavailable | 120 | 0.48 | ||
| Connecticut | $102,810 | $95,700 | $199,990 | 90 | 0.62 |
| Delaware | Data unavailable | 60 | 1.28 | ||
| Florida | $72,180 | $48,990 | $122,630 | 1,050 | 1.19 |
| Georgia | $79,010 | $59,560 | $133,310 | 420 | 0.97 |
| Hawaii | $61,440 | $37,690 | $81,490 | 90 | 1.66 |
| Illinois | Data unavailable | 270 | 0.5 | ||
| Indiana | $77,910 | $56,490 | $148,130 | 300 | 1.04 |
| Iowa | $81,220 | $41,420 | $117,950 | 210 | 1.49 |
| Kansas | $61,890 | $32,540 | $208,690 | 130 | 1.03 |
| Kentucky | $47,040 | $30,200 | $119,070 | 400 | 2.21 |
| Louisiana | $81,930 | $57,260 | $124,320 | 190 | 1.11 |
| Maine | $76,020 | $66,340 | $106,610 | 60 | 0.97 |
| Maryland | $100,670 | $57,460 | $156,100 | 260 | 1.03 |
| Massachusetts | $80,790 | $63,760 | $160,050 | 280 | 0.88 |
| Michigan | $77,140 | $62,510 | $160,570 | 430 | 1.08 |
| Minnesota | $79,900 | $60,680 | $135,340 | 500 | 1.9 |
| Mississippi | $63,390 | $44,990 | $135,210 | 140 | 1.36 |
| Missouri | $66,670 | $36,830 | $94,460 | 560 | 2.12 |
| Montana | $84,900 | $23,990 | $157,320 | 50 | 1.01 |
| Nebraska | $78,590 | $59,770 | $101,510 | 110 | 1.18 |
| Nevada | $60,750 | $51,730 | $88,310 | 100 | 0.69 |
| New Hampshire | $83,200 | $61,190 | $156,020 | 60 | 1.01 |
| New Jersey | $101,520 | $63,750 | $180,800 | 420 | 1.09 |
| New Mexico | $82,850 | $58,230 | $109,570 | 60 | 0.78 |
| New York | $103,530 | $61,360 | $212,540 | 820 | 0.95 |
| North Carolina | $80,730 | $59,810 | $150,070 | 460 | 1.04 |
| North Dakota | $68,080 | $49,840 | $79,320 | 40 | 0.95 |
| Ohio | $99,440 | $57,430 | $213,340 | 420 | 0.84 |
| Oklahoma | $64,440 | $46,090 | $110,480 | 200 | 1.28 |
| Oregon | $80,350 | $49,920 | $117,300 | 90 | 0.52 |
| Pennsylvania | $104,400 | $66,300 | $271,030 | 560 | 1.03 |
| Rhode Island | $122,150 | $59,590 | $169,480 | 120 | 2.64 |
| South Carolina | $77,400 | $51,420 | $154,380 | 220 | 1.08 |
| South Dakota | $100,880 | $77,900 | $103,300 | 70 | 1.6 |
| Tennessee | $78,130 | $56,120 | $149,120 | 430 | 1.45 |
| Texas | $67,740 | $41,770 | $120,730 | 1,230 | 0.98 |
| Utah | $82,510 | $63,550 | $128,480 | 160 | 1.05 |
| Virginia | $81,700 | $66,530 | $120,860 | 310 | 0.86 |
| Washington | $102,540 | $80,880 | $127,180 | 80 | 0.24 |
| West Virginia | $71,990 | $52,890 | $102,180 | 150 | 2.36 |
| Wisconsin | $79,560 | $51,340 | $111,780 | 440 | 1.67 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for funeral home managers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,600. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 58.1%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for funeral home managers
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- None
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General CIP 12.0301
- Funeral Direction/Service CIP 12.0302
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Other CIP 12.0399
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Consult with families or friends of the deceased to arrange funeral details, such as obituary notice wording, casket selection, or plans for services.
- Schedule funerals, burials, or cremations.
- Deliver death certificates to medical facilities or offices to obtain signatures from legally authorized persons.
- Offer counsel and comfort to families and friends of the deceased.
- Monitor funeral service operations to ensure that they comply with applicable policies, regulations, and laws.
- Direct and supervise work of embalmers, funeral attendants, death certificate clerks, cosmetologists, or other staff.
- Complete and maintain records, such as state-required documents, tracking documents, or product inventories.
- Sell funeral services, products, or merchandise to clients.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- CSR Consultants Cemetery Management SC
- CodeJam MemoriesOnTV
- Email software
- FPA Software MACCS
- Financial reporting software
- HMIS Advantage
- Mortware Professional
- Twin Tiers Technologies CIMS
- Twin Tiers Technologies MIMS
- Web browser software
- funeralOne Life Tributes
Transferable skills for career changers: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Time Management, Judgment and Decision Making, Management of Personnel Resources, Coordination.
Common job titles: Arranging Funeral Director, Funeral Director, Funeral Home Location Manager, Funeral Home Manager, Funeral Home Owner, Funeral Service Manager, Licensed Funeral Director, Location Manager, Mortuary Operations Manager (Mortuary Ops Manager), Prearranged Funeral Sales Manager.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do funeral home managers make?
The national median annual wage for funeral home managers was $78,790 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $49,700 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $156,400. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do funeral home managers need?
BLS lists associate's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with less than 5 years of related work experience and none on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is funeral home managers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of funeral home managers to change +4.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,600 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay funeral home managers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Rhode Island ($122,150), Pennsylvania ($104,400), New York ($103,530). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.