How to Become a Funeral Director: Education, Licensing, and Career Paths
A practical U.S. guide to funeral-service education, supervised experience, examinations, state licensing, pay, work realities, and choosing an eligible program.
The short answer
Becoming a funeral director usually involves postsecondary funeral-service or mortuary-science education, supervised professional experience, examinations, and a state license. But there is no single pathway that applies throughout the United States.
Some states license funeral directors and embalmers separately. Others use a combined funeral-service license. Your intended state of employment is therefore the best place to begin.
Verify before enrolling: State rules change, and an accredited program may not satisfy every requirement in every jurisdiction. The state licensing board is the final authority for current eligibility.
What this guide covers
- What funeral directors do
- Funeral director vs. mortician, embalmer, arranger, and manager
- The education-to-license pathway
- Education routes and program formats
- Accreditation and state eligibility
- Apprenticeship, internship, residency, and supervised training
- National and state examinations
- Examples of state licensing differences
- Schedules, emotional demands, physical demands, and safety
- Pay and job outlook
- Career fit, advancement, and ownership
- How to choose a funeral-service program
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources checked August 4, 2026
What does a funeral director do?
Funeral directors help families plan and carry out funerals, memorials, burials, cremations, and related services. Duties vary by state law, license, employer, and establishment size.
Common responsibilities include:
- Meeting with families to discuss service and disposition options
- Coordinating transportation and care of the deceased
- Preparing permits, authorizations, death-certificate information, and other required records
- Scheduling ceremonies, visitations, burials, and cremations
- Working with clergy, celebrants, cemeteries, crematories, florists, and other providers
- Helping families incorporate religious and cultural practices
- Explaining merchandise and service choices
- Supervising attendants, drivers, office staff, or preparation personnel
- Maintaining business, inventory, regulatory, and case records
- Participating in community outreach and preneed planning
In some funeral homes, a funeral director also performs embalming. In others, preparation work is completed by separately licensed embalmers or centralized preparation facilities.[1][2]
Funeral director, mortician, and embalmer: What is the difference?
These terms are often used loosely, but they are not universally interchangeable. Federal occupational classifications group some job titles together, while state licensing laws may distinguish them sharply.
Funeral director
Arranges services, coordinates disposition, completes records, supports families, and may supervise operations.
Mortician
A common title for a funeral-service professional. It may imply both funeral-directing and embalming qualifications, but not everywhere.
Embalmer
Performs licensed preparation and preservation work in accordance with legal and workplace-safety requirements.
Funeral arranger
Meets with families, explains options, and coordinates arrangements. The title may describe a licensed director or a narrower role.
Funeral attendant
Assists with services, transportation, facility setup, guest support, and other operational tasks.
Funeral-home manager
Oversees staffing, finances, compliance, facilities, marketing, and general business operations.
O*NET groups titles such as funeral director, mortician, undertaker, and funeral arranger under SOC 39-4031, but legal authority still depends on state rules and the person’s actual license.[2]
How to become a funeral director
This is a qualified general pathway, not a universal legal sequence. Supervised experience and examinations may occur at different points depending on the state.
Choose the state and license
Identify the state where you intend to work and whether you want a funeral-director, embalmer, or combined funeral-service license.
Confirm education requirements
Determine the accepted degree, accreditation, prerequisite, and program-format rules before choosing a school.
Complete or begin eligible education
An associate degree in funeral service or mortuary science is typical, but some states recognize other routes.
Register supervised experience
Apply for apprentice, intern, resident, trainee, or provisional status when required. Do not assume unregistered work will count.
Pass required examinations
Complete the applicable National Board Examination sections and any state laws, rules, pathology, oral, or practical examinations.
Submit the license application
Provide transcripts, scores, experience records, fingerprints, disclosures, fees, and other required documentation.
Renew and maintain credentials
Follow renewal, continuing-education, employment, and professional-conduct requirements.
BLS says supervised training commonly lasts one to three years and may be completed before, during, or after graduation and the national board examination.[1]
Funeral-service education routes
Funeral-service education combines technical, scientific, legal, interpersonal, and business subjects. Programs may cover funeral directing, ethics, grief communication, anatomy, pathology, microbiology, embalming theory, restorative art, business law, accounting, merchandising, and regulatory compliance.
| Route | Typical purpose | Potential advantages | Important limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate degree in funeral service or mortuary science | The most common entry route for funeral-service licensing | Relatively direct; combines arrangement, science, law, and practical education | State eligibility, accreditation, clinical requirements, and transferability still require verification |
| Bachelor’s degree | Broader funeral-service, business, management, or general education | May provide broader academic preparation or support later management and graduate-study goals | Does not automatically produce higher pay, faster advancement, or broader legal authority |
| Certificate or diploma | State-specific or post-degree education route | Can provide a focused option for eligible students | May satisfy requirements only in the institution’s home state and may have limited portability |
| General college degree | Standalone funeral-director pathway in limited jurisdictions | May suit applicants pursuing arrangement or management authority without embalming | Does not normally provide embalmer eligibility and is not a national route |
Online and hybrid programs
ABFSE identifies programs that deliver at least half of their coursework through distance education. Online coursework does not eliminate laboratory, clinical, supervised-experience, or state-eligibility requirements.[4]
Before enrolling, ask exactly which portions require travel, campus attendance, clinical placement, or employment at an approved funeral establishment.
Accreditation and program eligibility
The American Board of Funeral Service Education is the national programmatic accreditor for college and university funeral-service and mortuary-science programs. It is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.[3]
ABFSE lists 58 accredited degree programs in its 2026 directory. It also notes that some institutions offer certificate programs designed for the licensing rules of the state where the school operates; those programs may not satisfy other states.[4]
Institutional vs. programmatic accreditation
- Institutional accreditation evaluates the college or university as a whole.
- Programmatic accreditation evaluates the specific funeral-service or mortuary-science program.
A college can be institutionally accredited while its funeral-service program is not accredited by ABFSE.
Does accreditation guarantee licensure?
No. Accreditation does not guarantee that:
- Your intended state will accept the program
- You will pass the required examinations
- You will satisfy background or character requirements
- You will secure the required supervised placement
- Your license will transfer to another state
- You will find employment
National Board Examination eligibility
Graduation from an ABFSE-accredited program with at least an associate degree is the standard NBE route. Since January 1, 2023, candidates may also qualify when a state licensing board confirms that they meet that state’s eligibility requirements.[5]
Compare funeral-service and mortuary-science programs
First confirm the requirements of the state where you plan to work. Then compare program accreditation, format, clinical expectations, cost, and supervised-placement support.
Explore funeral-service programsApprenticeship, internship, residency, or supervised training
States use different names for the supervised-practice stage. The trainee may need to register before beginning work, practice under an approved licensee, document hours or cases, submit reports, and work at a licensed establishment.
Supervised experience may include:
- Arrangement conferences
- Service coordination
- Required forms and records
- Transportation and transfer procedures
- Funeral-home operations
- Preparation-room support under authorized supervision
- Cemetery or crematory coordination
- Regulatory compliance and case documentation
Do not assume a job automatically counts: If the state requires registration before supervised experience begins, unregistered work may not be credited toward licensing.
National and state examinations
The National Board Examination is administered by The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards, commonly called The Conference.
NBE Arts
The Arts section covers funeral arranging and directing, legal and regulatory compliance, counseling, marketing and merchandising, and cemetery, crematory, and other disposition operations.
NBE Sciences
The Sciences section covers embalming, restorative art, preparation for disposition, and funeral-service sciences such as anatomy, pathology, and microbiology.
Each section currently contains 150 scored questions plus 20 unscored pretest questions. The passing standard is a scaled score of 75, and passing results do not expire. States decide which section or sections apply to a particular license.[5][6]
Some jurisdictions also require a state laws, rules, and regulations examination, pathology examination, or another state-specific test. Passing an exam does not by itself guarantee a license.
How state licensing requirements differ
The following examples illustrate major regulatory patterns. They are not a substitute for a complete review of the state where you plan to work.
State examples checked August 4, 2026. Recheck all requirements immediately before enrolling or applying.
California: separate licenses
California licenses funeral directors and embalmers separately. Funeral-director applicants must be at least 18 and hold an AA, AS, or equivalent 60 college units. A mortuary-science degree is not required for that standalone license.
- State funeral-director examination
- Fingerprinting and official transcripts
- Employment by, or ownership of, a licensed funeral establishment
Texas: provisional licensing
Texas offers separate funeral-director and embalmer licenses, often pursued together. Applicants generally complete accredited mortuary education, a provisional licensing program, applicable NBE sections, and the Texas Mortuary Law Examination.
Texas also permits a limited educational waiver that may allow provisional practice for up to 12 months before enrollment in an accredited mortuary program.
North Carolina: multiple pathways
North Carolina has funeral-director, embalmer, and combined funeral-service licenses. Examination requirements differ by license:
- Funeral director: NBE Arts, state laws and rules, and state pathology exam
- Embalmer: NBE Sciences and state laws and rules
- Funeral service: both NBE sections and state laws and rules
A 12-month supervised traineeship is also required.
Colorado: major regulatory transition
Colorado is moving from its older framework to mandatory individual licensing for funeral directors, embalmers, mortuary-science practitioners, cremationists, and natural reductionists.
Licensure becomes mandatory on January 1, 2027. Applications are already open, including provisional routes for some existing workers.
State-rule verification checklist
License and education
- Responsible regulator
- Exact license title
- Minimum age
- Accepted degree or certificate
- Required programmatic accreditation
Experience and exams
- Trainee registration deadline
- Required duration, hours, or cases
- Supervisor qualifications
- Applicable NBE sections
- State law or other examinations
Application and maintenance
- Background and disclosure rules
- Official transcript and score process
- Renewal cycle
- Continuing education
- Reciprocity or endorsement
Where funeral-service professionals work
Independent and family-owned funeral homes
Workers in smaller establishments may perform a broad mix of arrangements, services, records, transportation, community relations, preparation work, and business operations. Variety can be high, but small teams may provide less schedule redundancy.
Corporate funeral providers
Larger organizations may divide work among arrangers, licensed directors, embalmers, removal teams, crematory personnel, preneed specialists, and location managers. Job boundaries may be clearer, but the structure differs by employer.
Combination operations
Organizations that combine a funeral home, cemetery, and crematory coordinate several stages of service. Workers may gain experience with disposition logistics, facility operations, documentation, and multiple regulated business functions.
Centralized preparation and trade-service companies
Some embalmers and support workers specialize in transportation or preparation services for several funeral homes. These roles may involve less family contact and more technical, driving, or dispatch work.
Preneed departments
Preneed specialists help people arrange and fund services in advance. Depending on the state and financial product, the work may require funeral-service credentials, insurance licensing, registration, or another authorization.
Work schedules, emotional demands, and safety
Schedules and on-call work
Most funeral-service workers are employed full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. On-call duties and irregular hours, including evenings and weekends, are common.[1]
The actual schedule depends heavily on establishment size, staffing, call volume, service volume, and whether specialized overnight or transportation teams are available.
Emotional demands
Funeral directors regularly work with people experiencing grief, shock, family conflict, financial pressure, and time-sensitive decisions. The work can require calm communication, emotional boundaries, cultural awareness, religious sensitivity, conflict management, and close attention to detail.
Research involving funeral and mortuary workers suggests that burnout and occupational well-being can be influenced by work-family conflict, workplace incivility, stigma, support, and whether workers find meaning in the work. The available evidence is limited and should not be treated as proof that exposure to death produces one predictable emotional outcome.[16]
Physical demands
Depending on the role, funeral-service work may involve standing, driving, moving equipment, assisting with transfers, working in awkward positions, and handling repetitive administrative tasks.
Occupational health and safety
Preparation work may involve exposure to formaldehyde and biological materials. OSHA’s formaldehyde standard establishes an eight-hour permissible exposure limit of 0.75 parts per million and a 15-minute short-term exposure limit of 2 parts per million. Covered employers may need monitoring, engineering controls, training, protective equipment, and other safeguards.[13]
OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard may also apply when workers have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials. NIOSH has identified local exhaust ventilation as an effective engineering control in evaluated embalming environments, but it does not prescribe one universal facility design for every funeral home.[14][15]
This section describes occupational considerations only. It is not a substitute for workplace training, an exposure assessment, or professional safety guidance.
Funeral-director pay and job outlook
Pay varies by occupational classification, license, duties, experience, location, schedule, employer, and responsibility level.
| Occupation | Estimated wage-and-salary employment | 10th percentile | Median annual wage | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers | 25,100 | $33,350 | $55,010 | $88,620 |
| Embalmers | 3,890 | $38,310 | $58,780 | $77,570 |
| Funeral attendants | 31,090 | $28,070 | $35,680 | $48,460 |
| Funeral-home managers | 13,910 | $49,700 | $78,790 | $156,400 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.[11]
How to interpret the wage table
- These figures do not represent guaranteed starting pay.
- The mortician category combines several job titles and may include both licensed professionals and arrangement-focused workers.
- The manager category reflects a different level of responsibility and should not be presented as ordinary entry-level funeral-director pay.
- OEWS excludes self-employed people, owners and partners of unincorporated firms, and certain other worker groups.[12]
Employment outlook
BLS projects funeral-service employment to increase from approximately 59,600 jobs in 2024 to 61,700 in 2034, an increase of about 4 percent.
| Occupational group | 2024 employment | 2034 projection | Projected change | Average annual openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funeral-service workers overall | 59,600 | 61,700 | 4% | About 5,800 |
| Funeral-home managers | 32,100 | 33,400 | 4% | About 2,900 |
| Morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers | 27,500 | 28,400 | 3% | About 2,700 |
Most projected openings are expected to result from workers retiring, changing occupations, or otherwise leaving the labor force. Annual openings should not be described as newly created jobs.[1]
The projection totals and OEWS wage-employment estimates come from different statistical programs and should not be combined as if they measure identical populations.
Is funeral service a good career for you?
It may fit you if you:
- Communicate calmly and respectfully
- Can discuss death without becoming avoidant or careless
- Pay close attention to records and legal requirements
- Respect cultural and religious differences
- Can work professionally with grieving or conflicted families
- Accept that evenings and on-call work may be part of the job
- Are interested in service, science, or business operations
- Can maintain empathy without assuming responsibility for solving every family’s grief
Think carefully if you:
- Need a guaranteed weekday schedule
- Strongly dislike paperwork or regulated procedures
- Do not want any possibility of transfer or preparation-room duties
- Expect a degree to guarantee licensing or employment
- Plan to move frequently without researching license portability
- Expect to move directly into a high-paying management role
Talking to working funeral directors, visiting programs, and asking about job shadowing or entry-level support work can provide better context than a personality quiz.
Potential advantages
- Work that directly helps families during important moments
- A defined education and licensing pathway
- Variety across family service, administration, technical work, and operations
- Opportunities to build long-term community relationships
- Possible advancement into management, education, compliance, or ownership
Potential disadvantages
- Evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call work
- Repeated exposure to grief and difficult circumstances
- State-specific education and licensing costs
- Limited portability between states
- Physical and occupational-safety demands
- Detailed regulatory and documentation requirements
- Sales and business pressure in some positions
Career advancement and funeral-home ownership
Possible career steps include:
- Funeral attendant or removal technician
- Registered apprentice, intern, resident, trainee, or provisional licensee
- Licensed funeral director
- Licensed embalmer
- Combined or dual-licensed practitioner
- Preneed specialist
- Crematory operator
- Location manager or funeral-home manager
- Regional manager
- Funeral-service educator
- Compliance or regulatory specialist
- Funeral-home owner
Advancement depends on state credentials, experience, employer structure, business skills, and available positions. Neither a bachelor’s degree nor dual licensing guarantees a promotion or wage increase.
Ownership adds another regulatory layer
Owning a funeral home may require more than an individual professional license. Depending on the jurisdiction and services offered, requirements can include:
- An establishment license
- An approved facility and designated licensee
- Insurance and financing
- Preneed authorization
- Crematory or cemetery approvals
- Zoning, environmental, and building compliance
- Staffing, recordkeeping, and consumer-protection systems
Ownership can provide control and equity, but it should not be presented as a quick or predictable career outcome.
How to choose a funeral-service or mortuary-science program
Use this checklist before paying a deposit or committing to a program.
Licensing eligibility
- Which state do you plan to work in?
- Which license do you want?
- Does the state accept this exact program?
- Does the state require ABFSE accreditation?
- Are additional state courses required?
Accreditation and outcomes
- Is the program in the current ABFSE directory?
- Is the institution itself accredited?
- What are recent graduation and NBE pass rates?
- Are salary and placement claims independently verifiable?
- Will credits transfer if you later pursue a bachelor’s degree?
Format and practical training
- Which courses are online?
- Which labs or clinical experiences require attendance?
- Are travel or temporary relocation required?
- Where are supervised practical requirements completed?
- Does the school help secure trainee placements?
Total cost and support
- What is excluded from advertised tuition?
- Are laboratory supplies, travel, exams, and licensing fees included?
- What happens if a placement is unavailable?
- What academic and clinical support is offered?
- How does the program address safety and regulatory compliance?
Ready to compare programs?
Confirm your intended state’s current rules first. Then compare funeral-service and mortuary-science programs by accreditation, format, cost, clinical expectations, and placement support.
Compare funeral-service and mortuary-science programsFrequently asked questions
How long does it take to become a funeral director?
A rough planning estimate is often three to five years, but there is no universal timeline. An associate degree commonly takes about two academic years, and supervised training may last one to three years. Depending on the state, training may overlap with education or examinations.
Is a mortician the same as a funeral director?
The terms are often used interchangeably in everyday speech and federal occupational classifications. State law may distinguish funeral directing from embalming or reserve certain titles for people with specific licenses.
What degree does a funeral director need?
An associate degree in funeral service or mortuary science is the typical entry education, but state requirements differ. Some jurisdictions permit general college degrees, certificates, or separate non-embalming pathways.
Do funeral directors have to perform embalming?
Not in every state or every job. Some states license funeral directors and embalmers separately, and larger employers may divide arrangement and preparation work among specialized staff.
What is the National Board Examination?
The NBE is administered by The Conference and includes separate Arts and Sciences sections. States decide which sections apply to a particular license and how the scores fit into the licensing process.
Can mortuary science be studied online?
Some accredited programs offer substantial online coursework, but students may still need in-person laboratories, clinical experiences, and supervised employment. Confirm the program’s acceptance with your intended state before enrolling.
Do funeral directors work at night and on weekends?
Many do. On-call work, evenings, weekends, holidays, and irregular schedules are common, although staffing models differ by employer.
Can a funeral director own a funeral home?
Yes, but an individual professional license may not be enough. Owners may also need establishment approval, a compliant facility, insurance, financing, and additional state or local authorizations.
Move from career research to an eligible training path
Becoming a funeral director is not simply a matter of completing a degree. The route depends on your state, intended license, program, supervised experience, examinations, and the kind of work you want to perform.
Start by identifying the state where you plan to work. Confirm its current rules, compare eligible programs, understand the schedule and emotional realities, and ask how each school supports examination eligibility and supervised placement.
Sources and data
Primary and authoritative sources checked August 4, 2026. State rules and fees can change; verify them again immediately before enrollment or application.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Funeral Service Workers, Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/funeral-service-occupations.htm
- O*NET OnLine: Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers (39-4031.00). https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-4031.00
- American Board of Funeral Service Education: Accreditor overview and recognition. https://www.abfse.org/
- American Board of Funeral Service Education: 2026 Directory of Accredited Programs. https://www.abfse.org/html/directory.html
- The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards: Candidate eligibility, exam blueprint, scoring, and result validity. https://theconferenceonline.org/candidates/
- The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards: 2026 NBE Candidate Handbook. https://theconferenceonline.org/download/nbe-candidate-handbook/
- California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau: Funeral Director Licensure. https://www.cfb.ca.gov/licensee/fundir.shtml
- Texas Funeral Service Commission: Becoming Licensed as a Funeral Director or Embalmer. https://tfsc.texas.gov/becominglicensed.html
- North Carolina Board of Funeral Service: Applicant Portal and examination pathways. https://ncbfs.org/applicant-portal/
- Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations: Funeral Home and Mortuary Science News. https://dpo.colorado.gov/MortuaryScience/News
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national occupation profiles. https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_stru.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: OEWS coverage and methodology. https://www.bls.gov/oes/oes_emp.htm
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Formaldehyde standard and occupational exposure limits. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1048
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1030
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Controlling Formaldehyde Exposures During Embalming. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/hazardcontrol/hc26.html
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: Funeral and Mortuary Operators: Work Meaningfulness, Work-Family Relations, Incivility, Stigma, and Burnout. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8297114/
Editorial review requirement: Before publication, have a licensed funeral-service professional review occupational terminology and have a licensing or compliance specialist recheck the state examples. This page should not claim professional review until that review has actually occurred.
