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Funeral home manager: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$78,790median pay per year, or $37.88 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $49,700lowest 10% earn less
  2. $61,89025th percentile
  3. $78,790median
  4. $103,94075th percentile
  5. $156,400top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Funeral home managers had a median pay of $78,790 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+4.1%[2]
Openings per year
2,600[6]
Typical entry education
Associate's degree[7]

How much do funeral home managers make?

The median wage for funeral home managers was $78,790 a year, or $37.88 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean (average) was $92,840 a year, or $44.63 an hour[8]. For all occupations, the median annual wage was $50,980[5].

The range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $49,700 a year, and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $61,890[4]. The highest-paid 25% earned more than $103,940, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $156,400[4]. BLS explains that a percentile is a boundary and that it does not publish a starting salary[9].

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[4][10] $49,700 $23.90
25th percentile[4][10] $61,890 $29.75
Median[1] $78,790 $37.88
75th percentile[4][10] $103,940 $49.97
90th percentile[4][10] $156,400 $75.19

These wages cover part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed and owners of unincorporated firms, and they do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[11]. This matters here, because 58.1% of funeral home managers were self-employed in 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

Rhode Island had the highest median annual wage at $122,150, followed by Pennsylvania at $104,400 and New York at $103,530[13]. Kentucky had the lowest published median at $47,040[13]. Some states have small counts, so a state median may rest on only a few dozen jobs[13].

Texas had the most funeral home manager jobs at 1,230, followed by Florida at 1,050 and New York at 820[14]. Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ had the highest median at $113,620, followed by Pittsburgh, PA at $105,930[15]. The New York area also had the most jobs, 730[16].

Show median pay in 43 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Rhode Island[13]$122,150120
Pennsylvania$104,400560
New York$103,530820
Connecticut$102,81090
Washington$102,54080
New Jersey$101,520420
South Dakota$100,88070
Maryland$100,670260
Ohio$99,440420
Montana$84,90050
New Hampshire$83,20060
New Mexico$82,85060
Utah$82,510160
California$82,370760
Louisiana$81,930190
Virginia$81,700310
Iowa$81,220210
Massachusetts$80,790280
North Carolina$80,730460
Oregon$80,35090
Minnesota$79,900500
Wisconsin$79,560440
Georgia$79,010420
Nebraska$78,590110
Tennessee$78,130430
Indiana$77,910300
South Carolina$77,400220
Michigan$77,140430
Maine$76,02060
Florida$72,1801,050
West Virginia$71,990150
North Dakota$68,08040
Texas$67,7401,230
Missouri$66,670560
Oklahoma$64,440200
Mississippi$63,390140
Alabama$63,010490
Kansas$61,890130
Hawaii$61,44090
Arizona$61,420200
Nevada$60,750100
Arkansas$60,260230
Kentucky$47,040400

How to become a funeral home manager

The training details below come from a BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile on funeral service workers, which covers a wider group than funeral home managers[17].

In an O*NET survey of 17 workers, 50% said an associate's degree is required, 26% said a high school diploma or equivalent, and 15% said a post-secondary certificate[26]. High school students can prepare with classes in biology, chemistry, business and public speaking[27].

What funeral home managers do

Funeral home managers plan, direct and coordinate the services and resources of a funeral home. That includes setting prices and managing the facilities[28]. Typical tasks reported to O*NET include:

Workers use job titles such as Funeral Director, Funeral Service Manager and Location Manager[30].

Where they work

Descriptions here come from the wider funeral service workers profile[17]. Workers typically work in a funeral home. Some also run a merchandise display room, a crematory or a cemetery, which may be on the same property[31]. The profile calls the work often stressful, because details of a funeral are arranged within 24 to 72 hours of a death, and a worker may manage several funerals in one day[31]. It says the work is not dangerous when safety and health rules are followed[32].

The profile says most funeral service workers are full time and some work more than 40 hours a week[33]. They are often on call, and evening and weekend hours are common[33]. In 2025, 58% of funeral service workers were self-employed[34]. For managers, the share was 58.1%[12].

Job outlook

BLS projects that funeral home manager employment will grow 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 34,800 to 36,200 jobs, a gain of 1,400[2]. For all occupations, the projected growth is 3.5%[3]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].

About 2,600 openings a year are projected on average[6]. Openings include jobs created when workers retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 2.6% of workers are projected to leave the labor force and 4.3% to move to a different occupation[35].

OEWS counted about 13,910 wage and salary funeral home managers in May 2025[36]. That survey does not cover the self-employed, while the projection counts do[36][2].

Is it a good fit?

The facts point to an occupation that typically starts with an associate's degree and pays a median above the all-occupations median[7][1][5]. Pay spreads widely, from $49,700 at the 10th percentile to $156,400 at the 90th[4]. Growth is projected to be slightly faster than for all occupations[2][3]. The wider profile describes stressful work with on-call and irregular hours, plus a license and supervised training in most states[31][33][21][20]. More than half of managers were self-employed, so wage data does not describe all of them[12][11].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[37].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a funeral home manager make an hour?
The median wage was $37.88 an hour in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $23.90 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $75.19[10].
What degree do you need to be a funeral home manager?
BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical education for entry[7]. The wider funeral service profile points to a funeral service or mortuary science program[18].
How long does it take to become a funeral home manager?
The wider funeral service profile says most accredited programs offer a 2-year associate's degree[38]. It also says supervised training usually lasts 1 to 3 years[20].
Are funeral home managers in demand?
Employment is projected to grow 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all occupations[2][3]. About 2,600 openings a year are projected[6].
What is the highest paying state for funeral home managers?
Rhode Island had the highest median annual wage at $122,150[13]. Pennsylvania was next at $104,400[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Funeral Home Managers in the US was $78,790 per year and $37.88 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Funeral Home Managers is projected to grow 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 34,800 to 36,200 jobs (a change of +1,400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Funeral Home Managers: 10th percentile $49,700, 25th percentile $61,890, 75th percentile $103,940, 90th percentile $156,400. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 2,600 openings for Funeral Home Managers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Funeral Home Managers: education needed for entry: Associate's degree; work experience in a related occupation: Less than 5 years; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Funeral Home Managers was $92,840 per year and $44.63 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Funeral Home Managers: 10th percentile $23.90, 25th percentile $29.75, 75th percentile $49.97, 90th percentile $75.19. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS Employment Projections: 58.1% of Funeral Home Managers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  13. Median annual wage for Funeral Home Managers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Funeral Home Managers jobs: Texas 1,230; Florida 1,050; New York 820; California 760; Missouri 560. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Funeral Home Managers (areas with at least 100 jobs): New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $113,620; Pittsburgh, PA $105,930; Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $102,490; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $101,770; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $101,220; Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $100,860; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $99,760; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $85,200. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Funeral Home Managers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 730 (median $113,620); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 300 (median $72,620); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 270 (median $82,370); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 250 (median $75,020); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 220 (median $74,940); Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 220 (median $83,450). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Funeral Service Workers" covers Funeral Home Managers together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. O*NET 11-9171.00 survey of workers (17 respondents), education level they say is required: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 50%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 26%, Post-Secondary Certificate 15%, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate 5% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  27. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  28. O*NET description of Funeral Home Managers. O*NET OnLine
  29. O*NET task list for Funeral Home Managers. O*NET OnLine
  30. O*NET 11-9171.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Arranging Funeral Director, Funeral Director, Funeral Home Location Manager, Funeral Home Manager, Funeral Home Owner, Funeral Service Manager, Licensed Funeral Director, Location Manager. O*NET OnLine
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of funeral service workers in 2025: Self-employed workers 58%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  35. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Funeral Home Managers: 2.6% of workers leave the labor force each year and 4.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  36. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 13,910 people were employed as Funeral Home Managers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  37. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
  38. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.