How to Become a Funeral Director: Requirements, Licensing, Apprenticeship, and Salary by State

The path to becoming a funeral director follows a clear sequence: earn a degree from an accredited mortuary science program, pass the National Board Examination, complete a state-mandated apprenticeship, and obtain your state license. While the overall structure is consistent across the country, the specific requirements — apprenticeship duration, state exams, and continuing education — vary significantly from state to state. Understanding these requirements early helps you plan efficiently and avoid delays in starting your career.

Candidates targeting this certification can strengthen their exam readiness with our Associate of Arts degree guide 2026, which covers all key content areas and question formats from the official exam blueprint.

Step-by-Step Path to Becoming a Funeral Director

If you are wondering how to become a funeral director, the process follows five distinct phases. Each phase has specific requirements that must be completed before moving to the next.

Step 1: Meet the Basic Prerequisites

Before applying to a mortuary science program, you must:

• Hold a high school diploma or GED — all ABFSE-accredited programs require this as a minimum
• Be at least 18 years old — most programs accept students at 18, though some states require you to be 21 for licensure
• Complete prerequisite coursework — many programs require college-level biology, chemistry, and English composition before admission. Some accept these as corequisites that can be completed during the program.
• Pass a background check — criminal history screening is required by most programs and all state licensing boards. Felony convictions involving moral turpitude, fraud, or violence may disqualify you.

Step 2: Complete an ABFSE-Accredited Mortuary Science Program

You must graduate from a program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education. This is non-negotiable — unaccredited programs do not qualify you for the National Board Exam or state licensure. Choose between:

• Associate degree (2 years): The fastest route to entering the profession. Focuses entirely on mortuary science core curriculum. Offered at community colleges and specialized institutions.
• Bachelor degree (4 years): Includes the full mortuary science curriculum plus general education. Provides a broader educational foundation that can benefit career advancement.

During your program, you will complete coursework in embalming, anatomy, chemistry, funeral service law, business management, and grief counseling. You will also perform supervised embalmings in the program's clinical lab — expect to complete 20-50+ cases before graduation.

Step 3: Pass the National Board Examination (NBE)

After graduating (or during your final semester, depending on your program's policy), you take the NBE administered by the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. The exam has two sections:

• Arts Section: 200 questions on funeral directing, funeral service law, merchandising, management, and counseling
• Sciences Section: 200 questions on embalming, anatomy, pathology, chemistry, microbiology, and restorative art

You must score 475 or higher on each section (out of 800) to pass. Both sections must be passed to qualify for licensure in most states. Prepare for the Sciences section — the most challenging part for many graduates — with our Embalming and Mortuary Chemistry practice quiz.

Step 4: Complete Your Apprenticeship

Most states require a supervised apprenticeship under a licensed funeral director. Duration ranges from 1 to 3 years depending on the state. Some states allow apprenticeship to begin during school (concurrent), while others require it to be completed entirely after graduation (post-graduation). During your apprenticeship, you will assist with all aspects of funeral service under supervision — from first calls and removals to arrangement conferences, embalming, and directing services.

Step 5: Obtain Your State License

After completing education, the NBE, and your apprenticeship, you apply for licensure through your state board. Some states require an additional state-specific exam covering local funeral service laws and regulations. Once licensed, you must maintain your license through continuing education — typically 10-20 hours per renewal period (1-2 years depending on the state).

State Licensing Requirements

Understanding how to become a funeral director in your specific state is critical because requirements vary significantly across jurisdictions. Below is a comprehensive overview of licensing requirements for selected states representing different regions and regulatory approaches.

States with Separate Funeral Director and Embalmer Licenses

Many states offer separate licenses for funeral directing and embalming, allowing you to hold one or both:

States with Combined Licenses

Some states issue a single combined funeral director/embalmer license:

Special Cases

• Colorado: Does not require the NBE. Has its own state licensing requirements that differ from the national standard.
• Alaska, Idaho, Vermont: Have less stringent requirements than larger states but still require mortuary science education and NBE passage.
• Reciprocity: Some states have reciprocity agreements that allow licensed funeral directors from other states to transfer their license with reduced requirements. Check with both your current state board and the board of the state where you want to practice.

Knowledge of government regulatory structure helps you navigate the complex licensing landscape. Practice with our BMS Embalming quiz to strengthen the technical knowledge that both the NBE and state exams test extensively.

Apprenticeship: What to Expect

The apprenticeship is where your classroom education meets real-world funeral service. For many aspiring funeral directors, the apprenticeship is the most formative period of their training — and the most challenging. Here is what to expect as you learn how to become a funeral director through supervised practice.

Finding an Apprenticeship Position

Begin your search 3-6 months before you need to start. Resources include:

• Your mortuary science program: Most programs have relationships with local funeral homes and can help place graduates. This is your best resource — use it.
• State funeral director associations: Many state associations maintain job boards or apprenticeship registries
• National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA): Maintains a career center with listings across the country
• Direct outreach: Contact funeral homes in your target area directly. Many small and mid-size funeral homes are actively looking for apprentices but may not post formal listings.

Types of Funeral Homes

Where you apprentice shapes your experience significantly:

• Independent funeral homes: Often family-owned, handling 50-300 cases per year. Apprentices at independent homes typically get broad exposure to every aspect of the business — you may handle removals, embalming, arrangement conferences, and service coordination within your first few months. The learning curve is steep but comprehensive.
• Corporate funeral homes (SCI, Dignity Memorial, NorthStar): Larger operations handling hundreds of cases annually. Apprentices may rotate through specialized departments. These positions often offer better pay, benefits, and structured training programs, but the experience may be more segmented — you might spend weeks in the preparation room before rotating to arrangement duties.
• High-volume urban funeral homes: In major cities, some funeral homes handle 500+ cases per year. Apprentices at these homes gain experience rapidly due to case volume but may feel the pace is overwhelming at times.

What You Will Do as an Apprentice

Apprenticeship activities typically include:

• First calls and removals: Responding when a death is reported, transporting the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home. This often happens at night, on weekends, and on holidays.
• Embalming and preparation: Assisting with and eventually performing embalmings under supervision, including washing, setting features, applying cosmetics, and dressing the deceased
• Arrangement conferences: Sitting in on (and eventually leading) meetings with families to plan funeral services, select merchandise, and discuss pricing
• Service coordination: Managing the logistics of visitations, funeral services, and committal services — coordinating with churches, cemeteries, clergy, florists, and musicians
• Administrative tasks: Filing death certificates, completing vital statistics paperwork, managing preneed and at-need contracts, and handling insurance assignments
• Facility maintenance: Keeping the funeral home, chapel, and preparation room clean, organized, and presentable at all times

Compensation During Apprenticeship

Apprentice pay varies widely by region and employer. Expect $28,000-$38,000 annually for full-time apprenticeship positions. Some positions include housing or a housing allowance, particularly in rural areas where funeral homes may have attached living quarters for on-call staff. Benefits (health insurance, retirement) are more commonly offered by corporate funeral homes than small independents.

The Emotional Reality

The apprenticeship period is when most new funeral professionals experience the emotional challenges of the work for the first time in a sustained way. Working with grieving families daily, handling infant and child deaths, and managing the physical demands of body preparation can take a toll. Successful apprentices develop healthy coping mechanisms — boundary setting between work and personal life, peer support networks, and in some cases professional counseling. This is normal and not a sign of weakness. Funeral service is emotionally demanding work, and acknowledging that reality is part of becoming a competent professional.

Funeral Director Salary and Job Outlook

Understanding the financial and employment landscape is an important part of learning how to become a funeral director. The profession offers stable employment with predictable demand, though compensation varies significantly by location, experience, and employer type.

National Salary Overview

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 data), funeral directors and morticians earn:

• Median annual salary: $57,620
• 10th percentile: $34,500
• 25th percentile: $43,200
• 75th percentile: $76,500
• 90th percentile: $98,160

Salary by State

Geographic location has a major impact on funeral director compensation. The highest-paying states reflect both cost of living and market demand:

Salary by Employer Type

• Corporate funeral homes: $50,000-$70,000 for licensed directors, with benefits packages that include health insurance, 401(k) matching, and paid time off. Management positions can reach $80,000-$100,000.
• Independent funeral homes: $42,000-$65,000 for licensed directors. May offer fewer benefits but often provide a more comprehensive daily experience and closer mentoring relationships.
• Funeral home owners: $75,000-$150,000+ depending on case volume, location, and business management. Ownership requires significant capital investment but offers the highest long-term earning potential.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4-6% growth in funeral service employment over the next decade — roughly in line with the national average for all occupations. Key factors driving demand:

• Aging population: As the baby boomer generation ages, the annual number of deaths in the United States is projected to increase steadily through the 2040s, creating sustained demand for funeral service professionals.
• Cremation trends: The national cremation rate now exceeds 60% and continues to rise. While cremation services generate less revenue per case than traditional burial, families still seek professional guidance for memorial services, urns, and disposition of remains. The funeral director role is evolving, not disappearing.
• Retirement wave: A significant number of currently licensed funeral directors are approaching retirement age, creating replacement demand that will need to be filled by new graduates.
• Industry consolidation: Large corporations continue to acquire independent funeral homes, creating both opportunities (more positions at larger companies) and challenges (fewer independent ownership opportunities).

Strengthen your readiness for the profession by practicing with our Embalming and Mortuary Chemistry and BMS Embalming practice quizzes — the technical knowledge they cover is foundational to every funeral director's daily work.