Impact-Site-Verification: 42f761f7-4229-44d2-9ac6-d8d6a156889e
Career Finder Skills Finder Home Careers Highest Paying Best Careers Compare Comparisons AI Rankings Career Health Training Blog Demand Report
Login Sign Up
← Back to Careers

Funeral Director

Healthcare AI-Resilient

Coordinates funeral services and provides support to grieving families.

B
🔵 Stable
Funeral Director shows steady demand and moderate hiring. A solid long-term path with manageable risk.
62
/ 100
See all grades →

Work Profile

Stress
8/10
Work-Life
4/10
Future Outlook
6/10
Hours / Week
50

Salary Growth

Starting
$45,000
Year 5
$62,000
Year 10
$78,000
Top Earners
$110,000
Promotion Path: Apprentice > Licensed Funeral Director > Manager > Owner.

Thinking about college for this career?

Will this salary actually cover your expenses, loans, and lifestyle? Most people never calculate this — and it can cost them years.

Use our Financial Reality tool to see: • Real take-home income • Loan impact • Cost of living by city • Whether this path actually works financially

🔒 Unlock Financial Reality

Core Skills and Tools

These are the practical tools, systems, math, and AI skills used in Funeral Director roles.

Core Skills

Makeup artistry
Training program development

Industry Knowledge

Embalming and funeral state licensing
Mortuary science degree
Physiology research
Public health research

Requirements

Degree field requirement
Driver's license requirement
Professional certification or license

Systems & Software

Microsoft Office

About to graduate?

Are you ready for that first position?

Career Accelerator helps you build a portfolio of skills that validates you are ready for the hiring company. We even give you the bullet points you need to add to your resume.

🚀 Open Career Accelerator

Thinking about switching into Funeral Director?

Answer a few skill questions and see your personalized skill gap, recommended projects, and a step-by-step plan to get closer to this role.

Build My Pivot Plan →

Other Potential Career Pivot Paths

Many professionals start in Funeral Director roles and later move into higher-paying or more specialized careers by developing additional skills.

Embalmer

Move between related career paths by building adjacent skills and experience.

Typical Salary: $75000-$115000

Skills Needed: family communication, service planning, regulatory knowledge, coordination

Difficulty: 🟡 Moderate

View Career →

How to Get Hired

This section focuses on practical readiness: what skills matter, what tools or certifications may help, and what you can do now to become more employable.

Unlock the Full Getting Hired Plan

See the exact skills, certifications, projects, and step-by-step plan to break into Funeral Director.

  • Certifications that actually help
  • Real projects to build experience
  • A 30–60 day action plan
Unlock Full Getting Hired Plan

AI Impact & Task Breakdown

AI-Resilient

AI helps with administrative tasks and digital memorial creation.

How to Stay Valuable

  • Develop judgment, communication, and problem-solving skills
  • Learn how AI tools can support this career instead of ignoring them
  • Move toward strategy, interpretation, and higher-value work over time

AI Scores

Automation Risk: 3.2/10 Human Value: 9.8/10 AI Leverage: 4.2/10

Based on 5 analyzed tasks

More likely automated

  • Handle legal and record requirements
  • Coordinate service logistics

Still requires human judgment

  • Meet with families to plan services
  • Coordinate service logistics

How AI Affects This Job

This career includes a mix of tasks. Some are becoming more automated, while others are becoming more valuable because they require human expertise.

Meet with families to plan services

Discuss arrangements preferences logistics and pricing with grieving relatives

Low Automation Risk High Human Value
Automation: 2/10 • AI Leverage: 3/10 • Human Value: 10/10

Likely adoption: 5-10 years

Coordinate service logistics

Manage scheduling clergy transportation and venue details for funerals or memorials

Moderate Automation High Human Value
Automation: 4/10 • AI Leverage: 5/10 • Human Value: 10/10

Likely adoption: 5-10 years

Handle legal and record requirements

Prepare permits certificates contracts and documentation tied to the deceased

Moderate Automation High Human Value
Automation: 5/10 • AI Leverage: 6/10 • Human Value: 9/10

Likely adoption: 3-5 years

Supervise preparation and facility staff

Direct embalmers attendants and service teams to maintain quality and care

Low Automation Risk High Human Value
Automation: 3/10 • AI Leverage: 4/10 • Human Value: 10/10

Likely adoption: 5-10 years

Support families before and after services

Provide guidance and follow up on memorial items financial questions or next steps

Low Automation Risk High Human Value
Automation: 2/10 • AI Leverage: 3/10 • Human Value: 10/10

Likely adoption: 5-10 years

Compare Careers