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The national median salary for Funeral Attendants is $35,693 per year ($17.16/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $30,389 and $42,869 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $48,464 per year. There are approximately 31,090 funeral attendants employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Perform a variety of tasks during funeral, such as placing casket in parlor or chapel prior to service, arranging floral offerings or lights around casket, directing or escorting mourners, closing casket, and issuing and storing funeral equipment.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+3.1%
About as fast as average
Annual openings
6K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
33K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
2% from new growth98% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Death Care Services
NAICS 812200
31K
$35,680
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
30
$44,160
Wage range across top 5 industries: $35,680 to $44,160 (24% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$13.50
$28,080
P25
$14.61
$30,389
P50MEDIAN
$17.16
$35,693
P75
$20.61
$42,869
P90
$23.30
$48,464
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · retail sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.6%
Quits Rate
3.1%
Retail openings rose to 737K (+52K) in March, rate up to 4.6%. Hires increased to 684K (+73K). Frontline turnover persists with quit rate at 3.1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average funeral attendants salary?
The national median salary for Funeral Attendants is $35,693 per year ($17.16/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $30,389 and $42,869 annually.
How much do top-earning funeral attendants make?
The 90th percentile salary for Funeral Attendants is $48,464 per year ($23.30/hr). The 75th percentile is $42,869 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for funeral attendants?
Entry-level Funeral Attendants (10th percentile) earn approximately $28,080 per year ($13.50/hr). The 25th percentile is $30,389 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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