Where you work is the single biggest factor in your mortician salary — more than experience, more than employer size. The gap between the highest and lowest-paying states is 2.2x: Delaware pays a median of $80,290 while Arkansas pays $35,970.
This page covers all 50 states using BLS OEWS May 2024 data — the most comprehensive and reliable source for mortician wages.
Salary Map: All 50 States
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 39-4031. National median: $49,800.
Key Findings
- Highest median: Delaware — $80,290
- Lowest median (excluding Puerto Rico): Arkansas — $35,970
- Most jobs: California — 2,670 employed morticians
- Highest job density: Iowa — 2.17x the national average concentration
- Surprise: California, Texas, and New Jersey all pay below the national median despite being large states
Top 10 Highest-Paying States
| Rank | State | Median | Mean | Jobs | LQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delaware | $80,290 | $76,630 | 90 | 1.18 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $76,720 | $78,710 | 100 | 1.40 |
| 3 | Minnesota | $76,490 | $73,890 | 520 | 1.07 |
| 4 | Nebraska | $65,310 | $66,360 | 220 | 1.28 |
| 5 | Maine | $63,790 | $60,740 | 70 | 0.65 |
| 6 | Iowa | $63,770 | $69,350 | 560 | 2.17 |
| 7 | New York | $62,590 | $66,730 | 1,390 | 0.87 |
| 8 | Idaho | $61,270 | $67,180 | 160 | 1.16 |
| 9 | Utah | $61,190 | $60,680 | 320 | 1.11 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $61,000 | $75,330 | 100 | 0.85 |
What stands out: The top-paying states are not the ones most people expect. Delaware, North Dakota, and Minnesota lead — not California or New York. High pay in small states often reflects a combination of strong union presence, higher cost of living adjustments, and fewer but better-compensated positions. → Why Delaware pays so much more
New Hampshire’s mean ($75,330) is much higher than its median ($61,000), suggesting a small number of very high earners pulling the average up.
Bottom 10 Lowest-Paying States
| Rank | State | Median | Mean | Jobs | LQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | $35,970 | $41,630 | 340 | 1.56 |
| 2 | Texas | $36,760 | $41,130 | 1,530 | 0.66 |
| 3 | Arizona | $37,970 | $44,320 | 420 | 0.79 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $38,040 | $40,660 | 160 | 1.51 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $38,890 | $43,220 | 440 | 1.38 |
| 6 | South Carolina | $40,160 | $49,760 | 490 | 1.30 |
| 7 | Mississippi | $40,280 | $44,200 | 200 | 1.04 |
| 8 | Missouri | $44,830 | $52,190 | 790 | 1.62 |
| 9 | Tennessee | $44,670 | $45,840 | 690 | 1.27 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $44,010 | $59,010 | 620 | 0.87 |
Notable: New Jersey’s median ($44,010) looks low, but its mean is $59,010 and P90 reaches $110,950 — the most extreme salary spread of any state. A small number of very high earners coexist with a large low-wage majority.
Arkansas has a high job density (LQ 1.56) despite the lowest pay — meaning jobs are plentiful but wages are suppressed.
California ($47,170) also pays below the national median — despite having the most mortician jobs of any state (2,670). See the full analysis of why.
States With the Most Mortician Jobs
| State | Jobs | Median | LQ | Per 1,000 Workers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 2,670 | $47,170 | 0.89 | 0.148 |
| Ohio | 1,530 | $49,360 | 1.66 | 0.277 |
| Texas | 1,530 | $36,760 | 0.66 | 0.111 |
| New York | 1,390 | $62,590 | 0.87 | 0.145 |
| Florida | 1,160 | $58,960 | 0.71 | 0.118 |
| Illinois | 1,120 | $60,680 | 1.10 | 0.184 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,120 | $55,940 | 1.11 | 0.186 |
| North Carolina | 940 | $58,860 | 1.15 | 0.192 |
| Missouri | 790 | $44,830 | 1.62 | 0.269 |
| Michigan | 760 | $60,700 | 1.04 | 0.174 |
California has the most jobs but pays below the national median. Ohio and Texas tie for second in job count, but Ohio pays $12,600 more per year. If you want both volume of opportunity and decent pay, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania offer the best combination.
States With the Highest Job Density (Location Quotient)
The Location Quotient (LQ) measures how concentrated mortician jobs are relative to the national average. LQ > 1.0 means above-average concentration.
| State | LQ | Per 1,000 Workers | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 2.17 | 0.362 | 560 | $63,770 |
| Kentucky | 1.98 | 0.330 | 660 | $45,640 |
| South Dakota | 1.68 | 0.279 | 130 | $58,990 |
| Ohio | 1.66 | 0.277 | 1,530 | $49,360 |
| Missouri | 1.62 | 0.269 | 790 | $44,830 |
| Arkansas | 1.56 | 0.260 | 340 | $35,970 |
| Hawaii | 1.51 | 0.253 | 160 | $38,040 |
| Montana | 1.48 | 0.246 | 130 | $49,140 |
| West Virginia | 1.44 | 0.240 | 170 | $50,210 |
| North Dakota | 1.40 | 0.233 | 100 | $76,720 |
Iowa stands out: mortician jobs are more than twice as concentrated there as the national average, and it pays above the national median ($63,770). It’s one of the best states for both job availability and pay.
High LQ doesn’t always mean high pay — Arkansas and Hawaii have high density but low wages.
Complete 50-State Rankings (Sorted by Median Salary)
| State | Median | Mean | P10 | P25 | P75 | P90 | Jobs | LQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $80,290 | $76,630 | $43,020 | $60,830 | $82,100 | $97,930 | 90 | 1.18 |
| North Dakota | $76,720 | $78,710 | $46,220 | $59,160 | $86,940 | $117,060 | 100 | 1.40 |
| Minnesota | $76,490 | $73,890 | $36,180 | $45,150 | $97,590 | $117,360 | 520 | 1.07 |
| Nebraska | $65,310 | $66,360 | $42,990 | $57,740 | $79,990 | $84,290 | 220 | 1.28 |
| Maine | $63,790 | $60,740 | $42,240 | $48,680 | $67,040 | $84,120 | 70 | 0.65 |
| Iowa | $63,770 | $69,350 | $49,640 | $59,160 | $77,900 | $95,040 | 560 | 2.17 |
| New York | $62,590 | $66,730 | $38,960 | $48,520 | $77,220 | $98,740 | 1,390 | 0.87 |
| Idaho | $61,270 | $67,180 | $38,200 | $44,880 | $75,700 | $101,610 | 160 | 1.16 |
| Utah | $61,190 | $60,680 | $38,290 | $46,780 | $74,320 | $78,500 | 320 | 1.11 |
| New Hampshire | $61,000 | $75,330 | $43,710 | $50,440 | $103,520 | $119,150 | 100 | 0.85 |
| Illinois | $60,680 | $65,520 | $29,120 | $45,760 | $82,680 | $101,380 | 1,120 | 1.10 |
| Michigan | $60,700 | $61,900 | $37,260 | $46,950 | $74,680 | $90,870 | 760 | 1.04 |
| Indiana | $60,430 | $60,740 | $39,240 | $44,250 | $74,360 | $82,930 | 660 | 1.25 |
| Virginia | $60,360 | $67,850 | $43,180 | $49,000 | $75,520 | $106,910 | 490 | 0.72 |
| Washington | $60,010 | $60,960 | $45,820 | $48,970 | $69,890 | $73,520 | 430 | 0.73 |
| South Dakota | $58,990 | $64,550 | $49,640 | $57,150 | $76,690 | $80,730 | 130 | 1.68 |
| Florida | $58,960 | $62,020 | $35,660 | $46,870 | $76,200 | $97,090 | 1,160 | 0.71 |
| North Carolina | $58,860 | $54,120 | $27,500 | $41,190 | $64,610 | $75,560 | 940 | 1.15 |
| Colorado | $57,420 | $66,720 | $38,660 | $46,960 | $73,950 | $132,790 | 300 | 0.63 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,940 | $61,060 | $35,170 | $48,840 | $73,500 | $96,890 | 1,120 | 1.11 |
| Connecticut | $54,590 | $63,480 | $32,640 | $37,280 | $79,480 | $99,670 | 350 | 1.25 |
| Vermont | $52,000 | $55,660 | $44,630 | $48,410 | $57,350 | $78,210 | 40 | 0.76 |
| Rhode Island | $51,990 | $53,190 | $51,830 | $51,990 | $54,630 | $55,190 | 40 | 0.51 |
| Oklahoma | $51,610 | $52,860 | $22,790 | $37,290 | $69,200 | $76,920 | 360 | 1.26 |
| West Virginia | $50,210 | $55,490 | $35,800 | $46,730 | $56,540 | $67,100 | 170 | 1.44 |
| Wisconsin | $50,020 | $57,010 | $36,200 | $37,830 | $66,320 | $80,590 | 490 | 1.01 |
| Wyoming | $49,840 | $55,420 | $34,190 | $47,010 | $53,420 | $84,930 | 40 | 0.82 |
| Nevada | $49,740 | $50,740 | $37,910 | $48,340 | $55,900 | $57,530 | 270 | 1.04 |
| Ohio | $49,360 | $56,080 | $29,430 | $37,710 | $65,980 | $90,580 | 1,530 | 1.66 |
| Montana | $49,140 | $52,080 | $35,360 | $36,090 | $62,550 | $77,420 | 130 | 1.48 |
| Georgia | $49,100 | $52,920 | $29,960 | $39,600 | $62,400 | $82,300 | 570 | 0.71 |
| Alabama | $48,450 | $49,160 | $30,240 | $37,690 | $55,100 | $76,240 | 480 | 1.39 |
| Oregon | $48,370 | $50,870 | $37,710 | $41,860 | $57,400 | $72,970 | 280 | 0.84 |
| Massachusetts | $48,300 | $59,510 | $39,080 | $45,180 | $49,460 | $83,320 | 590 | 0.97 |
| California | $47,170 | $53,300 | $35,200 | $37,660 | $60,360 | $76,070 | 2,670 | 0.89 |
| Kansas | $46,920 | $51,670 | $27,480 | $38,370 | $70,520 | $76,760 | 180 | 0.74 |
| Maryland | $46,080 | $54,960 | $32,010 | $37,320 | $75,160 | $95,690 | 400 | 0.87 |
| New Mexico | $45,970 | $46,040 | $29,470 | $36,560 | $52,510 | $61,300 | 110 | 0.76 |
| Kentucky | $45,640 | $42,760 | $26,530 | $29,120 | $50,270 | $58,740 | 660 | 1.98 |
| Missouri | $44,830 | $52,190 | $29,110 | $35,390 | $58,970 | $90,900 | 790 | 1.62 |
| Tennessee | $44,670 | $45,840 | $30,340 | $36,080 | $49,050 | $61,550 | 690 | 1.27 |
| New Jersey | $44,010 | $59,010 | $31,470 | $31,470 | $78,470 | $110,950 | 620 | 0.87 |
| Mississippi | $40,280 | $44,200 | $22,900 | $29,130 | $51,150 | $64,030 | 200 | 1.04 |
| South Carolina | $40,160 | $49,760 | $27,660 | $31,510 | $60,090 | $78,460 | 490 | 1.30 |
| Louisiana | $38,890 | $43,220 | $21,560 | $29,490 | $57,560 | $63,140 | 440 | 1.38 |
| Hawaii | $38,040 | $40,660 | $29,120 | $36,490 | $44,160 | $44,560 | 160 | 1.51 |
| Arizona | $37,970 | $44,320 | $30,460 | $35,880 | $47,080 | $72,970 | 420 | 0.79 |
| Texas | $36,760 | $41,130 | $21,520 | $28,590 | $53,390 | $61,340 | 1,530 | 0.66 |
| Arkansas | $35,970 | $41,630 | $29,080 | $31,290 | $49,140 | $55,530 | 340 | 1.56 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,620 | $25,750 | $20,270 | $21,080 | $27,170 | $33,520 | 160 | 0.99 |
How to Use This Data
If you’re choosing where to relocate: Compare median salary against cost of living. Delaware’s $80,290 looks great, but it’s a small market (only 90 jobs). Iowa offers $63,770 with 560 jobs and the highest job density in the country — a better combination for most people.
If you’re already employed: Use the P25–P75 range for your state to benchmark your current salary. If you’re below P25, you have a strong case for a raise or a reason to look elsewhere.
If you’re entering the field: States like Ohio (1,530 jobs, $49,360 median) and Pennsylvania (1,120 jobs, $55,940 median) offer the best combination of job volume and above-average pay for new graduates.
Want the Full Dataset?
The table above shows medians. The complete picture — P10, P25, P75, P90 for every state, plus cost-of-living-adjusted real purchasing power rankings — is in the Mortician Salary Toolkit.
What the toolkit adds:
- Every percentile (P10–P90) for all 50 states in a sortable Excel + CSV
- COL-adjusted real purchasing power column — so you can compare Iowa vs. California on equal footing
- State comparison report template with pre-filled relocation examples
- Negotiation scripts to use once you know your market rate
One-time download, $24.99. See what’s included →
Data Source
All figures from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. SOC code 39-4031 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). LQ = Location Quotient relative to all U.S. employment.
→ For national salary data and multi-source comparison, see How Much Do Morticians Make?