Average Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers is $49,800 per year. The middle 50% earn between $38,470 and $67,140, with 25,700 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 49 states and 111 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $31,470
- 25th
- $38,470
- Median
- $49,800
- 75th
- $67,140
- 90th
- $85,940
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay varies significantly across workers. Seniority, employer size, and specialization all move the needle, so it is normal for two morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers at different points in their careers to earn very different salaries.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +3.1%
- 800 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 3,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Where Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Delaware at $80,290, about 61.2% above the national median. At the metro level, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI leads with a median of $80,750.
By state
Top-paying states
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $80,750 | 250 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $74,180 | 60 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | $67,630 | 30 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $66,600 | 80 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | $65,860 | 80 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $65,450 | 60 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $65,350 | 1,160 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $64,020 | 140 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers rose from $54,150 to $49,800, a change of -8.0% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $54,150 would need to be worth $66,442 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $49,800 is −$16,642 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -25.0% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of -8.0% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- -8.0%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -25.0%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $54,150
- 2020
- $54,100
- 2021
- $48,950
- 2022
- $51,570
- 2023
- $51,030
- 2024
- $49,800
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Embalmers
- $56,280
- Crematory Operators
- $42,880
- Funeral Attendants
- $34,610
- Costume Attendants
- $54,810
Common salary questions for Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Morticians, Undertakers, And Funeral Arrangers workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.