Funeral Home Workers

Employment for all funeral service workers, including funeral home managers, morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers, is expected to increase at an average rate of 4 percent between 2023 and 2033. Funeral home managers will experience the fastest growth, at 5 percent, while slower growth of 3 percent is expected for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers. The need to replace those retiring or leaving the profession will spur a demand for newly trained directors. Anticipated growth also reflects the need for services as the population in general ages.

Despite this demand, there are a limited number of employers in any geographical area, and it might be wise for prospective students to check with employers in their area to see what the chances for employment will be. If possible, students should try to arrange postgraduate employment while they are still in school. Aspiring funeral workers who are willing to relocate will have improved job prospects.

Job security in the funeral service industry is relatively unaffected by economic downturns. Despite the flux and movement in the population, funeral homes are a stable institution. The average firm has been in its community for more than 40 years, and funeral homes with a history of over 100 years are not uncommon.

One major industry trend is the increasing number of people who choose to be cremated, rather than be buried, after death. According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the U.S. cremation rate grew from less than 10 percent in 1980 to nearly 62 percent in 2024. The association projects that the cremation rate will rise to more than 82 percent by 2045. Another trend is the increasing popularity of "green" funerals. According to the NFDA, a green funeral "can include any or all of the following: a small gathering in a natural setting, use of only recycled paper products, locally-grown organic flowers, carpooling, organic food, no embalming or embalming with formaldehyde-free products, the use of sustainable biodegradable clothing, shroud or casket, and natural or green burial." Funeral directors must have knowledge of both cremation and green funeral practices in order to effectively provide services to the families of the deceased.