Where is it easiest to open: Cemeteries and Crematories
48 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 39-4031” (soc) for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA | 475 | 5.0 | $43,997 | licence | Funeral Director |
| NY | 393 | 6.3 | $69,040 | licence | Funeral Director |
| CA | 262 | 16.7 | $68,939 | licence | Funeral Director |
| OH | 208 | 7.4 | $44,178 | licence | Funeral Director |
| FL | 205 | 10.6 | $49,245 | not matched | — |
| TX | 191 | 9.9 | $49,104 | exam | FUNERAL DIRECTOR |
| IL | 184 | 6.5 | $56,997 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND EMBALMER |
| NJ | 176 | 6.7 | $66,170 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTOR; MORTICIAN |
| MI | 126 | 8.8 | $53,410 | licence | Funeral Director (Mortuary Science); Funeral Director (Mortuary Science) Re |
| MA | 106 | 6.6 | $62,709 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTOR |
| IN | 104 | 6.8 | $45,469 | exam | Funeral Director; Funeral Director Intern |
| NC | 95 | 5.7 | $41,776 | exam | Courtesy Card (Funeral); Funeral Director |
| WI | 92 | 3.4 | $47,019 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTOR |
| CT | 85 | 5.3 | $54,712 | licence | Funeral Director |
| MD | 82 | 10.7 | $53,542 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTOR; MORTICIAN |
| GA | 80 | 6.9 | $54,284 | exam | Cemetery/Funeral Service Dealer; Funeral Director |
| TN | 73 | 8.9 | $50,259 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTOR |
| MO | 73 | 6.8 | $47,093 | licence | Funeral Directors |
| SC | 72 | 5.5 | $41,562 | licence | Funeral Director; Funeral Director and Embalmer Apprenti |
| WA | 71 | 6.6 | $55,777 | exam | Funeral Director; Mortician |
| MN | 54 | 4.8 | $54,996 | licence | Mortuary Science (Mortician) License |
| VA | 52 | 7.7 | $57,204 | exam | Funeral Director |
| WV | 52 | 4.3 | $37,260 | not matched | — |
| LA | 46 | 7.6 | $47,650 | not matched | — |
| KY | 46 | 8.9 | $44,822 | exam | Funeral Director and Embalmer |
| AL | 43 | 7.2 | $40,081 | licence | Licensed Funeral Director |
| AZ | 43 | 10.4 | $49,783 | not matched | — |
| OR | 42 | 5.7 | $49,255 | licence | Death Care Consultant; Funeral Service Practitioner |
| IA | 39 | 5.1 | $34,755 | licence | Funeral Director |
| CO | 37 | 9.9 | $51,959 | exam | Funeral Home |
| RI | 28 | 8.1 | $71,204 | exam | Funeral Director/Embalmer |
| KS | 27 | 5.1 | $54,288 | exam | Assistant Funeral Director; Funeral Director |
| OK | 23 | 6.5 | $51,447 | licence | Funeral Director |
| NH | 18 | 2.9 | $53,698 | exam | Funeral Director |
| ME | 18 | 2.3 | $45,000 | exam | Funeral Director and Practitioner (Ina; Funeral "Home" Establishment |
| MS | 17 | 3.5 | $34,169 | exam | Funeral Directors |
| NV | 16 | 8.9 | $47,000 | not matched | — |
| DE | 16 | 3.5 | $56,464 | exam | Funeral Director; Funeral Director Limited License |
| AR | 15 | 4.5 | $40,824 | exam | Funeral Director; Funeral Director Apprentice |
| NE | 14 | 6.2 | $53,828 | licence | Funeral Director & Embalmer |
| NM | 12 | 8.7 | $36,875 | exam | Arranger; Funeral Service Intern License |
| UT | 11 | 7.3 | $44,562 | licence | FUNERAL SERVICE DIRECTOR |
| ND | 8 | 2.8 | $37,955 | licence | Funeral Service Practitioners |
| ID | 6 | 4.7 | $53,893 | exam | Funeral Directors; Morticians |
| HI | 6 | 16.7 | $58,870 | not matched | — |
| DC | 6 | 8.8 | $55,736 | licence | FUNERAL DIRECTORS |
| VT | 4 | 1.2 | $24,000 | licence | Embalmer; Funeral Director |
| MT | 4 | 2.2 | $52,778 | exam | Funeral - Mortician; Funeral - Mortician Intern |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.