Employment of funeral directors is projected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2012, as the population and the number of deaths increase. The need to replace funeral directors who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons will account for more job openings than will employment growth. Typically, a number of mortuary science graduates leave the profession shortly after becoming licensed funeral directors to pursue other career interests, and this trend is expected to continue. Also, funeral directors are older, on average, than workers in most other occupations, and should be retiring in greater numbers between 2002 and 2012.