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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

39-4031 Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors

Perform various tasks to arrange and direct funeral services, such as coordinating transportation of body to mortuary, interviewing family or other authorized person to arrange details, selecting pallbearers, aiding with the selection of officials for religious rites, and providing transportation for mourners. Excludes "Funeral Service Managers" (11-9061).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
25,740 2.7 % $27.70 $57,620 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.97 $18.64 $25.31 $33.89 $42.81
Annual Wage (2) $29,050 $38,770 $52,650 $70,500 $89,050


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Death Care Services 25,290 18.45 $27.61 $57,430
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 230 0.01 $36.85 $76,650

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Death Care Services 25,290 18.45 $27.61 $57,430
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 230 0.01 $36.85 $76,650

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 230 0.01 $36.85 $76,650
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services (8) (8) $30.84 $64,140
Death Care Services 25,290 18.45 $27.61 $57,430


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 1,980 0.16 0.92 $25.75 $53,560
Florida 1,490 0.17 0.98 $27.42 $57,030
California 1,350 0.08 0.45 $24.69 $51,350
Illinois 1,350 0.23 1.27 $34.75 $72,280
Ohio 1,320 0.24 1.38 $26.66 $55,460




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
West Virginia 300 0.43 2.39 $23.95 $49,810
Kentucky 720 0.38 2.15 $21.37 $44,460
Iowa 510 0.33 1.87 $32.84 $68,300
Arkansas 390 0.33 1.83 $19.87 $41,330
Missouri 880 0.31 1.77 $20.75 $43,170




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 320 0.19 1.07 $76.91 $159,970
Illinois 1,350 0.23 1.27 $34.75 $72,280
New Jersey 560 0.14 0.78 $34.73 $72,250
North Dakota 110 0.27 1.51 $34.72 $72,220
Massachusetts 740 0.21 1.17 $34.45 $71,670





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,200 0.13 0.71 $35.07 $72,950
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 710 0.15 0.85 $36.80 $76,550
St. Louis, MO-IL 590 0.43 2.42 $25.86 $53,790
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 530 0.15 0.83 $23.61 $49,110
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 510 0.18 1.03 $34.77 $72,330
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 460 0.16 0.91 $32.20 $66,980
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 420 0.07 0.39 $23.53 $48,940
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 380 0.29 1.63 $24.91 $51,820
Pittsburgh, PA 320 0.28 1.57 $19.35 $40,240
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 290 0.15 0.82 $30.67 $63,790




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Morristown, TN 40 0.90 5.06 $22.89 $47,610
Alexandria, LA 50 0.77 4.33 $13.88 $28,870
Abilene, TX 40 0.69 3.86 $23.98 $49,890
Kingsport-Bristol-Bristol, TN-VA 80 0.65 3.67 $24.08 $50,100
Johnstown, PA 30 0.64 3.60 $18.83 $39,170
Jonesboro, AR 40 0.62 3.50 $21.13 $43,960
Wheeling, WV-OH 40 0.58 3.29 $31.37 $65,250
Chico, CA 40 0.55 3.07 $17.38 $36,140
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 80 0.53 3.00 $17.34 $36,070
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 70 0.52 2.92 $23.90 $49,700




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Lincoln, NE 40 0.20 1.12 $63.20 $131,450
Akron, OH 60 0.17 0.98 $44.90 $93,400
Worcester, MA-CT 70 0.25 1.41 $44.73 $93,050
Champaign-Urbana, IL 40 0.42 2.34 $43.71 $90,920
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 240 0.09 0.53 $36.87 $76,700
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 710 0.15 0.85 $36.80 $76,550
Springfield, MA-CT (8) (8) (8) $36.75 $76,430
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC (8) (8) (8) $36.12 $75,120
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (8) (8) (8) $35.50 $73,850
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,200 0.13 0.71 $35.07 $72,950

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 220 0.55 3.08 $31.75 $66,030
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 220 0.86 4.85 $29.27 $60,870
Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 160 0.62 3.49 $30.06 $62,520
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 150 1.02 5.73 $23.38 $48,630
Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area 150 0.90 5.06 $18.70 $38,890

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 50 1.16 6.52 $34.75 $72,280
West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 150 1.02 5.73 $23.38 $48,630
East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.97 5.47 $33.64 $69,970
North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area 100 0.92 5.17 $23.08 $48,000
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 90 0.92 5.19 $15.78 $32,830

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $54.47 $113,300
Northwest Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 50 1.16 6.52 $34.75 $72,280
Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $34.42 $71,600
South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $34.32 $71,390
Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $34.14 $71,010


About May 2018 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019