Funeral Service and Mortuary Science: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 12.03. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 111 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 32 | 702 | $41,782 | $47,296 | $19,467 9 programs |
| Associate's degree | 66 | 1,760 | $45,311 | $52,962 | $20,000 32 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 13 | 214 | $47,611 | $60,056 | $26,000 7 programs |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College IA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $54,564 | $67,653 | $23,363 |
| Piedmont Technical College SC · Public · 23 graduates measured | $47,718 | Data unavailable | $17,248 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College NC · Public · 38 graduates measured | $42,338 | $52,604 | $19,467 |
| Worsham College of Mortuary Science IL · Private, for-profit · 33 graduates measured | $34,855 | $60,198 | $15,333 |
| Antilles School of Technical Careers PR · Private, for-profit · 22 graduates measured | $17,831 | $16,843 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Petersburg College FL · Public · 39 graduates measured | $60,716 | $43,598 | $19,933 |
| Tidewater Community College VA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $57,792 | $52,870 | Data unavailable |
| FINE Mortuary College MA · Private, for-profit · 30 graduates measured | $55,901 | $61,927 | $32,040 |
| Arapahoe Community College CO · Public · 56 graduates measured | $54,973 | $54,411 | $21,562 |
| Des Moines Area Community College IA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $54,692 | Data unavailable | $13,625 |
| Milwaukee Area Technical College WI · Public · 21 graduates measured | $54,551 | Data unavailable | $20,903 |
| John A Gupton College TN · Private, nonprofit · 46 graduates measured | $51,837 | $54,828 | $15,500 |
| Fayetteville Technical Community College NC · Public · 55 graduates measured | $50,347 | $47,405 | $20,875 |
| Jefferson State Community College AL · Public · 25 graduates measured | $50,016 | Data unavailable | $10,548 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College IL · Public · 21 graduates measured | $49,916 | Data unavailable | $27,326 |
| Delgado Community College LA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $49,479 | Data unavailable | $26,093 |
| Brightpoint Community College VA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $49,165 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
| American River College CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $47,056 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service NY · Private, nonprofit · 89 graduates measured | $46,776 | $60,648 | $24,300 |
| Hudson Valley Community College NY · Public · 24 graduates measured | $46,474 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 28 graduates measured | $62,908 | $77,420 | $26,000 |
| Wayne State University MI · Public · 42 graduates measured | $56,637 | $62,954 | $20,500 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale IL · Public · 23 graduates measured | $51,033 | $60,203 | $30,288 |
| University of Central Oklahoma OK · Public · 22 graduates measured | $50,151 | $54,571 | $27,000 |
| Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science OH · Private, nonprofit · 86 graduates measured | $40,642 | $52,985 | $25,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Funeral Service and Mortuary Science
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funeral home managers | $78,790 | +4.1% | Associate's degree |
| Embalmers | $58,780 | +0.7% | Associate's degree |
| Crematory operators | $43,650 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers | $55,010 | +3.0% | Associate's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 12.0301 Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General
- 12.0302 Funeral Direction/Service
- 12.0303 Mortuary Science and Embalming/Embalmer
- 12.0399 Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, Other