Funeral Attendants
Funeral Attendants (SOC 39-4021) earn a median $35,680 a year ($17.16 an hour) in the United States, with 31,090 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is New Hampshire.
What funeral attendants do
Funeral attendants carry out varied tasks at funerals, supporting funeral directors so that services run smoothly and as planned. Ahead of a wake or funeral they set the casket in the parlor or chapel and arrange flowers or lighting around it. They welcome people at the funeral home, lead or escort mourners to the room where the service takes place, and help mourners climb into or out of limousines. At the proper moment they close the casket, and they hand out and store funeral equipment. Afterward they clean the parlor or chapel. O*NET lists titles such as funeral assistant, funeral associate, funeral attendant, and cemetery services specialist. The tasks are supporting ones, so the code differs from morticians and funeral arrangers, who plan the services, and from embalmers, who prepare the body.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual education level (about 47 percent).
Also called: Cemetery Services Specialist, Embalmer Apprentice, Funeral Assistant, Funeral Associate, Funeral Attendant.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $13.50 | $14.61 | $17.16 | $20.61 | $23.30 | $17.88 | 31,090 |
| Annual | $28,070 | $30,380 | $35,680 | $42,870 | $48,460 | $37,190 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where funeral attendants earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $23.10 | $23.40 | $26.85 | $29.26 | $42.40 | $29.47 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $48,050 | $48,660 | $55,850 | $60,850 | $88,200 | $61,300 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $15.75 | $21.36 | $25.76 | $25.84 | $25.90 | $23.52 | 190 | 0.38 | 1.90 |
| Annual | $32,770 | $44,430 | $53,580 | $53,740 | $53,870 | $48,920 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $16.76 | $18.66 | $24.99 | $25.36 | $26.05 | $22.39 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.31 |
| Annual | $34,850 | $38,820 | $51,980 | $52,750 | $54,170 | $46,580 | ||||
| Delaware | Hourly | $20.55 | $21.53 | $22.46 | $22.71 | $26.90 | $22.68 | 110 | 0.23 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $42,730 | $44,790 | $46,720 | $47,230 | $55,950 | $47,170 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $15.00 | $15.05 | $22.25 | $27.43 | $33.39 | $22.59 | 1,090 | 0.30 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $31,300 | $46,280 | $57,050 | $69,440 | $46,990 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.12 | $13.85 | $14.69 | $16.84 | $18.45 | $15.63 | 2,150 | 0.15 | 0.77 |
| Annual | $27,300 | $28,800 | $30,560 | $35,030 | $38,380 | $32,510 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $15.04 | $16.58 | $17.45 | $21.57 | $23.50 | $18.82 | 1,930 | 0.32 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $31,280 | $34,490 | $36,300 | $44,870 | $48,870 | $39,150 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $17.28 | $17.78 | $18.61 | $21.35 | $25.84 | $20.42 | 1,790 | 0.10 | 0.49 |
| Annual | $35,950 | $36,990 | $38,700 | $44,420 | $53,750 | $42,470 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $13.49 | $14.62 | $17.14 | $18.88 | $23.77 | $17.88 | 1,720 | 0.31 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $28,050 | $30,420 | $35,640 | $39,270 | $49,440 | $37,200 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $13.88 | $14.15 | $14.52 | $17.08 | $19.32 | $16.19 | 1,700 | 0.17 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $28,860 | $29,420 | $30,210 | $35,520 | $40,180 | $33,680 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | Hourly | $15.49 | $17.72 | $34.08 | $36.70 | $36.70 | $28.12 | 30 | 0.19 | 0.96 |
| Annual | $32,220 | $36,860 | $70,880 | $76,340 | $76,340 | $58,490 | ||||
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | Hourly | $18.73 | $23.40 | $27.44 | $29.42 | $66.59 | $30.29 | 40 | 0.22 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $38,950 | $48,660 | $57,080 | $61,190 | $138,510 | $63,010 | ||||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Hourly | $15.00 | $19.40 | $24.96 | $25.82 | $25.90 | $22.77 | 280 | 0.40 | 1.98 |
| Annual | $31,200 | $40,350 | $51,910 | $53,700 | $53,870 | $47,360 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $15.05 | $18.56 | $23.13 | $27.46 | $34.00 | $23.72 | 680 | 0.25 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $31,300 | $38,600 | $48,110 | $57,120 | $70,720 | $49,330 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $16.84 | $21.30 | $22.35 | $26.81 | $32.81 | $23.66 | 90 | 0.23 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $35,040 | $44,300 | $46,480 | $55,770 | $68,230 | $49,220 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.09 | $17.95 | $21.69 | $22.85 | $27.40 | $21.95 | 1,190 | 0.13 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $35,540 | $37,340 | $45,100 | $47,540 | $56,990 | $45,660 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $15.05 | $18.56 | $23.13 | $27.46 | $34.00 | $23.72 | 680 | 0.25 | 1.25 |
| Annual | $31,300 | $38,600 | $48,110 | $57,120 | $70,720 | $49,330 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.54 | $17.85 | $18.61 | $23.45 | $27.68 | $20.72 | 680 | 0.11 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $36,490 | $37,120 | $38,700 | $48,770 | $57,580 | $43,090 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $13.92 | $14.52 | $17.01 | $17.93 | $21.83 | $17.28 | 580 | 0.31 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $28,940 | $30,210 | $35,380 | $37,300 | $45,410 | $35,940 | ||||
| Pittsburgh, PA | Hourly | $14.91 | $16.34 | $17.35 | $21.34 | $23.30 | $18.59 | 570 | 0.51 | 2.57 |
| Annual | $31,000 | $33,990 | $36,080 | $44,390 | $48,460 | $38,660 | ||||
Top industries employing funeral attendants
Death Care Services employ 99.5% of funeral attendants nationally (30,920 jobs) at a median $35,680 a year ($17.16 an hour), followed by State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (0.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Death Care Services NAICS 812200 | 30,920 | 99.5% | $35,680 | $17.16 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 30 | 0.1% | $44,160 | $21.23 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (31,090). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $29,230 for funeral attendants in May 2021 and $35,680 in May 2025, with employment of 32,490 and 31,090.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $29,230 | $14.05 | 32,490 |
| May 2022 | $31,160 | $14.98 | 32,950 |
| May 2023 | $33,850 | $16.27 | 32,620 |
| May 2024 | $34,610 | $16.64 | 30,560 |
| May 2025 | $35,680 | $17.16 | 31,090 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
48 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire profile | $26.85 | $55,850 | $48,050 | $88,200 | 120 | 0.17 | 0.87 |
| 2 | Rhode Island profile | $25.76 | $53,580 | $32,770 | $53,870 | 190 | 0.38 | 1.90 |
| 3 | Nevada profile | $24.99 | $51,980 | $34,850 | $54,170 | 100 | 0.06 | 0.31 |
| 4 | Delaware profile | $22.46 | $46,720 | $42,730 | $55,950 | 110 | 0.23 | 1.14 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $22.25 | $46,280 | $31,200 | $69,440 | 1,090 | 0.30 | 1.50 |
| 6 | Connecticut profile | $22.02 | $45,800 | $35,090 | $58,500 | 520 | 0.30 | 1.52 |
| 7 | Minnesota profile | $21.11 | $43,910 | $35,110 | $47,470 | 400 | 0.14 | 0.67 |
| 8 | New York profile | $20.29 | $42,210 | $35,210 | $55,130 | 1,450 | 0.15 | 0.75 |
| 9 | Colorado profile | $20.05 | $41,710 | $36,150 | $54,760 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.28 |
| 10 | Washington profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $35,150 | $46,210 | 160 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
| 11 | Utah profile | $19.78 | $41,130 | $31,180 | $52,000 | 270 | 0.16 | 0.79 |
| 12 | Vermont profile | $19.62 | $40,800 | $32,910 | $47,110 | 30 | 0.11 | 0.55 |
| 13 | Oregon profile | $19.40 | $40,350 | $36,630 | $46,320 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.19 |
| 14 | Iowa profile | $19.26 | $40,060 | $36,950 | $47,560 | 460 | 0.29 | 1.47 |
| 15 | Maine profile | $18.91 | $39,330 | $35,140 | $46,490 | 220 | 0.35 | 1.73 |
| 16 | Missouri profile | $18.88 | $39,270 | $30,250 | $52,910 | 620 | 0.21 | 1.05 |
| 17 | Maryland profile | $18.76 | $39,020 | $36,030 | $47,110 | 670 | 0.24 | 1.21 |
| 18 | California profile | $18.61 | $38,700 | $35,950 | $53,750 | 1,790 | 0.10 | 0.49 |
| 19 | New Jersey profile | $17.90 | $37,240 | $32,220 | $74,370 | 540 | 0.13 | 0.63 |
| 20 | South Dakota profile | $17.87 | $37,170 | $30,800 | $47,940 | 120 | 0.25 | 1.27 |
| 21 | Montana profile | $17.83 | $37,080 | $33,510 | $43,880 | 110 | 0.22 | 1.10 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | $17.45 | $36,300 | $31,280 | $48,870 | 1,930 | 0.32 | 1.59 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $17.32 | $36,030 | $28,430 | $46,740 | 500 | 0.17 | 0.86 |
| 24 | Illinois profile | $17.16 | $35,690 | $31,200 | $45,140 | 730 | 0.12 | 0.60 |
| 25 | Ohio profile | $17.14 | $35,640 | $28,050 | $49,440 | 1,720 | 0.31 | 1.55 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | $17.04 | $35,450 | $30,580 | $45,920 | 420 | 0.13 | 0.65 |
| 27 | Michigan profile | $17.01 | $35,380 | $28,880 | $46,480 | 1,460 | 0.33 | 1.66 |
| 28 | Virginia profile | $16.83 | $35,010 | $27,910 | $44,720 | 1,450 | 0.35 | 1.76 |
| 29 | North Dakota profile | $16.82 | $34,980 | $29,130 | $48,630 | 130 | 0.30 | 1.49 |
| 30 | North Carolina profile | $16.80 | $34,940 | $24,480 | $47,190 | 1,610 | 0.33 | 1.63 |
| 31 | New Mexico profile | $16.77 | $34,890 | $31,490 | $46,770 | 170 | 0.20 | 1.00 |
| 32 | Indiana profile | $16.55 | $34,420 | $29,770 | $46,730 | 1,080 | 0.34 | 1.69 |
| 33 | Idaho profile | $16.00 | $33,280 | $29,890 | $48,810 | 70 | 0.08 | 0.40 |
| 34 | Wyoming profile | $15.84 | $32,950 | $25,700 | $43,480 | 60 | 0.22 | 1.11 |
| 35 | Arkansas profile | $15.21 | $31,630 | $24,290 | $62,860 | 140 | 0.11 | 0.53 |
| 36 | West Virginia profile | $15.10 | $31,410 | $27,630 | $45,430 | 350 | 0.50 | 2.50 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $14.77 | $30,720 | $21,430 | $37,630 | 330 | 0.23 | 1.14 |
| 38 | Texas profile | $14.69 | $30,560 | $27,300 | $38,380 | 2,150 | 0.15 | 0.77 |
| 39 | Georgia profile | $14.68 | $30,530 | $24,200 | $43,270 | 1,070 | 0.22 | 1.09 |
| 40 | Mississippi profile | $14.68 | $30,530 | $22,090 | $43,980 | 280 | 0.25 | 1.22 |
| 41 | Oklahoma profile | $14.68 | $30,530 | $21,940 | $42,760 | 510 | 0.30 | 1.50 |
| 42 | Louisiana profile | $14.60 | $30,370 | $17,590 | $42,470 | 560 | 0.29 | 1.45 |
| 43 | Alabama profile | $14.57 | $30,310 | $22,660 | $44,130 | 550 | 0.26 | 1.31 |
| 44 | Florida profile | $14.52 | $30,210 | $28,860 | $40,180 | 1,700 | 0.17 | 0.86 |
| 45 | Nebraska profile | $14.51 | $30,170 | $28,080 | $35,660 | 270 | 0.27 | 1.34 |
| 46 | South Carolina profile | $14.36 | $29,880 | $21,900 | $45,410 | 930 | 0.41 | 2.03 |
| 47 | Tennessee profile | $14.23 | $29,600 | $23,990 | $38,160 | 1,090 | 0.33 | 1.67 |
| 48 | Kentucky profile | $14.02 | $29,160 | $22,430 | $35,790 | 560 | 0.28 | 1.39 |
Part of Personal Care and Service Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 39-4021 Funeral Attendants.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 39-4021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 39-4021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.