How much does a funeral home manager make?

The median pay is $37.88 per hour — roughly $79,000 a year, with the real range running from about $23.90/hr (10th percentile) to $75.19/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a funeral home manager?

The typical entry-level education is: Associate degree. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a funeral home manager actually do all day?

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.

Management

Funeral Home Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the services or resources of funeral homes. Includes activities such as determining prices for services or merchandise and managing the facilities of funeral homes.

What it pays
Funeral Home Managers earn a median of $37.88/hr — about $79,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $23.90/hr; the top 10% earn $75.19/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Associate degree. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 56.1% of funeral home managers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are take-charge, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a funeral home manager make?: The median pay is $37.88 per hour — roughly $79,000 a year, with the real range running from about $23.90/hr (10th percentile) to $75.19/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a funeral home manager?: The typical entry-level education is: Associate degree. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
What does a funeral home manager actually do all day?: 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.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

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