Funeral Attendant Salary


How Much Does a Funeral Attendant Make?

On average, a Funeral Attendant make $35,200 a year. The lowest-paid 10 percent made $24,120, while the top-paid 10 percent made $46,580.

Annually National Average Salary: $35,200

$24K
$28K
$35K
$38K
$46K
10%
25%
50%
75%
90%

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS.



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Salary by State

  • Annually
  • Monthly
  • Hourly

Annual Salary by State

State 10% Annual 25% Annual Avg. Annual 75% Annual 90% Annual
Alabama$20,580$27,010$32,130$35,450$47,020
Arizona$31,260$32,520$34,110$34,640$35,210
Arkansas$26,300$27,450$33,710$35,460$43,240
California$35,680$36,590$42,220$46,300$49,880
Colorado$29,640$34,190$40,000$43,360$53,610
Connecticut$33,660$38,060$43,090$48,070$49,630
Delaware$36,060$37,690$42,920$46,780$55,440
Florida$24,450$28,220$32,880$35,360$44,100
Georgia$21,730$22,880$31,240$36,830$43,500
Hawaii$30,690$31,000$33,320$35,310$42,800
Idaho$21,560$22,430$36,100$39,520$41,150
Illinois$28,810$30,760$35,560$37,720$42,750
Indiana$24,070$28,720$32,680$35,740$42,520
Iowa$29,300$32,050$34,950$36,870$37,910
Kansas$16,170$18,430$25,360$29,740$34,220
Kentucky$24,850$27,930$30,250$33,280$36,830
Louisiana$22,670$25,440$31,410$36,810$39,410
Maine$29,830$34,280$36,110$36,870$44,630
Maryland$30,740$34,870$38,330$43,170$47,050
Massachusetts$35,660$36,450$44,710$48,080$59,790
Michigan$28,850$29,590$33,090$34,840$43,120
Minnesota$33,660$35,490$40,980$44,780$48,660
Mississippi$21,660$22,820$30,810$36,720$45,150
Missouri$27,220$29,010$35,310$37,900$46,350
Montana$30,880$31,480$37,750$38,030$54,330
Nebraska$27,470$29,220$34,790$36,100$50,490
Nevada$30,690$36,100$40,110$37,440$72,550
New Hampshire$29,770$40,750$60,190$55,470$116,290
New Jersey$29,390$36,000$46,180$57,690$60,100
New Mexico$29,330$29,990$33,810$35,770$37,660
New York$33,500$34,990$41,650$45,250$55,470
North Carolina$23,500$29,070$39,290$36,990$49,000
North Dakota$30,150$31,250$38,840$43,650$45,440
Ohio$24,820$29,280$32,940$35,710$39,320
Oklahoma$22,910$28,140$32,560$37,420$44,520
Oregon$31,200$34,780$39,000$41,670$44,050
Pennsylvania$26,610$28,710$35,920$38,110$46,260
Rhode Island$30,510$30,510$38,970$46,990$48,340
South Carolina$21,180$22,950$29,420$34,170$37,460
South Dakota$29,090$29,480$33,140$35,950$39,400
Tennessee$21,930$25,930$34,940$37,480$45,370
Texas$22,450$24,340$29,040$30,370$35,900
Utah$27,000$28,380$35,950$40,470$43,600
Vermont$36,800$36,820$39,710$44,270$45,540
Virginia$26,800$27,940$32,740$36,050$44,100
Washington$33,020$35,220$38,050$38,480$44,480
West Virginia$21,940$23,900$31,000$35,500$44,990
Wisconsin$26,000$29,630$32,030$34,910$36,350
Wyoming$31,910$32,120$35,900$37,390$39,940
Puerto Rico$18,190$18,720$20,660$21,370$22,050

Annual Average Salary: Top 5 States

The top earning state in the field is New Hampshire, where the average salary is $60,190.

These are the top 5 earning states in the field:

New Hampshire - $60,190
New Jersey - $46,180
Massachusetts - $44,710
Connecticut - $43,090
Delaware - $42,920

Funeral Attendants: Salary Overview

Funeral attendants are responsible for placing the casket in the parlor or the chapel before the service, arranging floral offerings or lights around the casket, and storing funeral equipment.

They may also perform a variety of tasks that take place during a funeral.

Funeral attendants are sometimes responsible for organizing floral arrangements, escorting mourners, and closing the casket.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for funeral attendants was $27,930 as of May 2019 which means that half of the workers in this profession earned less than this amount while half earned more.

This is lower than the median annual income for all professions in the United States.

The lowest 10 percent earned less than $19,390 while the top 10 percent made more than $43,710 per year.

Salaries are determined by a variety of factors, such as education, experience level, the industry of employment, and the region of employment.

The 25th percentile for this occupation was $22,720 which means that 75 percent of funeral attendants made more than this.

Some funeral attendants are paid based on an hourly rate and in this case, their earnings also vary depending on the number of hours of work.

According to a report published by payscale.com in 2020, the average hourly rate for funeral attendants is $11.90.

Rates also vary depending on a wide range of factors and funeral attendants can make anywhere between $9-$17 an hour.

Funeral Attendant Salary by Industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most funeral attendants worked in the field of death care services and reported an average annual wage of $29,830 as of May 2019.

Salaries for funeral attendants also vary depending on the region of employment.

According to a report published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-paying state for funeral attendants was Massachusetts where the average annual wage reported by workers in this occupation was $44,210 as of May 2019.

Other top-paying states were New Jersey, Vermont, California, and Delaware.

In these states, funeral attendants were remunerated, on average, with more than $35,000 a year.

Funeral attendants in Indiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Puerto Rico, on the other hand, reported average annual wages that were below $25,000.

So, if you’re willing to relocate to a different region you may have better chances at earning a higher annual wage as a funeral attendant.

According to BLS, Ohio is the state that offers the most jobs for this profession and the average annual wage reported by funeral attendants in this state was $28,000.

The top-paying metropolitan area for this profession in 2019 was Waterloo-Cedar Falls, Iowa – a region where the average annual wage reported by funeral attendants was $46,820.

In conclusion, salaries are influenced by the region of employment and the local economy but there are many other factors that determine how much a funeral attendant makes each year.

As a funeral attendant, you also have advancement opportunities with additional training and several years of experience.

For example, if you complete specialized training you may become a mortician, an undertaker, or a funeral agent, professions that are remunerated, on average, with $58,360 per year.

For example, completing some post-secondary education in the field may help you earn a higher starting salary and may help you advance to a position that is better-paid.

Job Prospects

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment for funeral attendants, in general, is projected to decline 4 percent from 2018 to 2028, mostly due to the fact that clients increasingly prefer cremation, which is less expensive and requires fewer people involved in the funeral arrangements.

Funeral attendants who become licensed as funeral directors and/or embalmers should have the best job prospects.

* Based on information from the May 2023 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Funeral Attendants. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.

* Employment conditions in your area may vary.


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