Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in California

Is California a good place for you to work as a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director?

You’re in luck! Jobs for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in California are projected to grow and these jobs tend to pay higher than average.

• Projected employment for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in California is growing faster than average.

• Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in California earn lower salaries than the typical U.S. wage earner.

What Major Will Prepare You For a Mortician, Undertaker, or Funeral Director Career?

• Personal & Culinary Services
• Funeral & Mortuary Science
• General Funeral Service & Mortuary Science
• Funeral Direction/Service
• Other Funeral Service & Mortuary Science

How Many Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors Work in California?

There were approximately 1,350 workers employed as Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in this state in 2018.

There were 1,210 Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors employed in this state in 2017.

That’s growth of 140 jobs between 2017 and 2018.

The typical state has 390 Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors working in it, which means California has more Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors than average.

Job Projections for California

Jobs for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in this state are growing at a rate of 5.9% which is faster than the nationwide estimated projection of 3.8%.

California Annual Job Openings

The BLS is projecting 220 annual Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors job openings in California, and 1,800 total jobs in the year 2026.

Nationwide, the prediction is 3,700 annual jobs and 29,800 total jobs in 2026.

What do Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors Make in California?

In 2018 wages for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors ranged from $32,930 to $78,740 with $45,940 being the median annual salary.

Broken down to an hourly rate, workers in this field made anywhere from $15.83 to $37.86. The median hourly rate was $22.09.

In 2017 the median pay for this field was $20.27 an hour.

The hourly rate grew by $1.82.

The median salary in California is higher than the nationwide median salary.

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Top California Metros for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors

The table below shows some of the metros in this state with the most Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors.

Metro	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	420	$44,890
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	210	$48,590
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	140	$39,590
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	120	$41,690
Chico, CA	40	$33,620

Top States for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors Employment

The table below shows the states where most Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors work.

State	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Texas	1,980	$51,650
Florida	1,490	$50,660
Illinois	1,350	$61,390
California	1,350	$45,940
Ohio	1,320	$53,060
New York	1,320	$66,910
Pennsylvania	1,260	$42,860
North Carolina	1,100	$56,310
Missouri	880	$38,840
Wisconsin	750	$57,210
Indiana	740	$53,270
Massachusetts	740	$72,840
Kentucky	720	$44,800
Michigan	690	$58,370
Tennessee	680	$47,130
Virginia	670	$55,980
New Jersey	560	$72,160
Georgia	520	$41,680
Iowa	510	$61,310
Alabama	460	$39,340

Below are the states where Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors get paid the most:

State	Annual Median Salary
Connecticut	$109,820
Massachusetts	$72,840
New Jersey	$72,160
Minnesota	$70,660
Vermont	$68,770
New Hampshire	$67,820
New York	$66,910
North Dakota	$64,800
Delaware	$63,840
Nebraska	$62,520

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies.