How to become a mortician

1. 1Get a feel for the work in a funeral home

   Time: A few months (optional, often in high school or college)Sources 1

   Many funeral homes hire part-time attendants to help at visitations, drive vehicles, set up flowers and assist with transfers. It is the best way to see whether you can handle the hours, the emotional side and work with the dead before you pay for a program. In high school, science classes such as biology and chemistry prepare you for embalming coursework, and business and speech classes help with the family-facing side.

2. 2Complete an ABFSE-accredited mortuary science program

   Time: 2 years (associate); 4 years (bachelor's)Cost: $4,764 a year (median public in-state tuition)Sources 2, 1, 5

   The American Board of Funeral Service Education accredits funeral service and mortuary science programs, and most states require a degree from one. Coursework covers anatomy, pathology, microbiology, embalming, restorative art, funeral directing, grief counseling, business law and ethics, with hands-on embalming labs. Most programs are associate degrees at community colleges; a few universities offer bachelor's degrees. Graduating from an ABFSE program also makes you eligible for the National Board Exam.

3. 3Pass the National Board Exam

   Time: Usually near or after graduationCost: $285 per section ($570 for both)Sources 3

   The NBE has two computer-based sections, Arts and Sciences, each with 150 scored questions plus 20 unscored pretest items. Arts covers arranging and directing funerals, marketing and merchandising, counseling, legal and regulatory compliance and cemetery and crematory operations; Sciences covers embalming, restorative art, preparation for disposition and funeral service sciences. It is given year-round at Pearson test centers, a scaled score of 75 passes each section, and passing scores do not expire.

4. 4Serve your apprenticeship or internship

   Time: 1-3 years, depending on the stateCost: Usually paidSources 1, 6

   Licensing states require supervised practice under a licensed funeral director, and boards may also set a minimum number of embalmings and funerals you must assist with. Depending on the state, the apprenticeship can be served before, during or after school and before or after the NBE. You typically register with the state board as an apprentice or intern and report your cases. Ask your board early exactly what it requires so your hours and cases count.

5. 5Pass any state exam and get licensed

   Time: A few weeks to a few monthsCost: State exam and license fees (vary)Sources 1, 6

   Most states require applicants to be at least 21, and many add a state laws and rules exam covering burial permits, cremation authorizations, preneed contracts and consumer protection. Some states issue a combined funeral director and embalmer license; others issue them separately. A license from one state does not let you practice in another, so look up each state in the CareerOneStop License Finder. Most states require continuing education to renew.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Composure with grieving families

Families arrive in shock or anger, and the mortician must listen, explain choices clearly and make dozens of decisions with them without rushing or pressuring.

Organization under deadlines

A service is planned and held within days, often alongside other funerals, so permits, clergy, cemetery times and transport all have to line up.

Embalming and restorative technique

Restoring a natural appearance after illness, trauma or autopsy takes knowledge of anatomy and chemistry and a steady, careful hand.

Attention to legal paperwork

Death certificates, cremation authorizations and preneed contracts have strict legal requirements, and mistakes can delay a burial or break the law.

Physical stamina

The job involves lifting and moving bodies and caskets, standing through long visitations and answering calls at night.

Business and sales sense

Funeral homes depend on itemized pricing, merchandise and preneed sales, and morticians must present options honestly within the FTC Funeral Rule.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, writing, critical thinking.

Training cost

$10.1K–$14.9K

Before financial aid

Time

3-4 years

Typical path

Median pay

$55,010

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

2.5–3.7 yrs

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 2 years x $4,764, the College Scorecard median published in-state tuition at public colleges for funeral service and mortuary science associate programs ($9,528), plus both NBE sections at $285 each ($570). High: 3 years at the same tuition ($14,292), for students who must finish general education prerequisites first or attend part-time, plus the $570 NBE. Excludes fees, books, embalming lab supplies, state exam and license fees, and private tuition. Graduates' median federal loan debt is $14,216.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Funeral home manager

  After several years as a licensed funeral director, you can manage a location: staff, budgets, marketing and compliance. BLS notes managers typically have years of experience as directors first.

• Funeral home owner

  Experienced directors buy or start a funeral home, which takes capital and, in states that license funeral establishments, a license for the business itself in addition to their personal license.

• Preneed sales counselor or manager

  Funeral directors who are strong with clients can specialize in prearranged funeral contracts; check your state's rules for selling preneed contracts.

• Mortuary science instructor

  Licensed directors with experience can teach in accredited programs; a bachelor's or higher degree helps. The handful of morticians employed by colleges earn a median of $82,320.

• Healthcare administrator$123,860 median

  Some move into hospital or hospice administration, which usually requires a bachelor's or master's degree in health administration.