Mortician pay doesn’t grow the way most people expect. The base salary curve is relatively flat — but total compensation, including bonuses and profit-sharing, increases substantially with experience. Understanding which components grow and when is the key to planning your career trajectory.
2-Minute Version
- Entry-level (< 1 year): ~$39,667 average (PayScale 2025)
- Late career (20+ years): ~$61,045 average — a 54% increase over a full career
- Most of the gain comes from bonuses and profit-sharing, not base salary bumps
- The management track ($76,830 median) is the single biggest pay jump — worth more than 20 years of experience-based raises
- BLS P10–P90 spread ($31,470–$85,940) reflects experience, location, and role — not just seniority
The Experience Curve: Full Data
PayScale experience ladder (2025, n=111)
| Experience Level | Average Total Pay |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | $39,667 |
| 1–4 years | $51,456 |
| 5–9 years | $53,443 |
| 10–19 years | $62,907 |
| 20+ years | $71,814 |
Source: PayScale, 111 responses, 2025
The jump from entry-level to 1–4 years ($39,667 → $51,456) is the largest single-period increase — roughly $11,800 or 30%. This reflects the transition from apprentice/new licensee to a fully independent practitioner.
After that, growth slows significantly. The 5–9 year range adds only ~$2,000 over the 1–4 year range. The real acceleration comes at 10+ years, when management roles and profit-sharing arrangements become more common.
What’s driving the numbers
PayScale data separates base salary from total compensation. For morticians:
- Base salary growth across the full career: approximately 3% (Salary.com data)
- Total compensation growth: 54% (entry to 20+ years)
The gap between those two figures is explained by bonuses and profit-sharing — which increase substantially with experience and seniority.
BLS Percentile Distribution: The Structural Picture
The BLS OEWS May 2024 data shows the full range of mortician pay:
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Who’s Here |
|---|---|---|
| P10 | $31,470 | Apprentices, new licensees, low-wage states |
| P25 | $38,470 | Early career, 1–3 years licensed |
| Median (P50) | $49,800 | Typical working mortician |
| P75 | $67,140 | Experienced, higher-wage states, some management |
| P90 | $85,940 | Senior, management-track, top states |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 39-4031
The $54,470 gap between P10 and P90 reflects more than just experience — location, employer type, and role all contribute. But experience is the primary driver of movement through these percentiles over a career.
Typical career trajectory through BLS percentiles:
- Year 0–1 (apprentice): Below P10 ($25,000–$31,000)
- Year 1–3 (new licensee): P10–P25 ($31,470–$38,470)
- Year 3–7 (established): P25–P50 ($38,470–$49,800)
- Year 7–15 (experienced): P50–P75 ($49,800–$67,140)
- Year 15+ (senior/management): P75–P90 ($67,140–$85,940)
The Management Track: The Biggest Pay Jump
The single most significant pay increase in funeral service isn’t experience-based — it’s role-based.
| Role | Median Salary | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | ~$28,000 | Year 0–1 |
| Licensed Mortician | $49,800 | Year 1+ |
| Senior Mortician | ~$55,000–$65,000 | Year 5–10 |
| Funeral Home Manager | $76,830 | Year 8–15 |
| Funeral Home Owner | Varies widely | Year 15+ |
Funeral home manager data: BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 11-9061
The jump from licensed mortician ($49,800 median) to funeral home manager ($76,830 median) is $27,030/year — more than 20 years of experience-based raises in a single role change.
Over a 20-year career, the cumulative difference between staying as a mortician vs. reaching management is roughly $400,000–$600,000 in total earnings.
How Employer Type Affects the Experience Premium
Not all employers reward experience equally:
| Employer Type | Entry Pay | Experienced Pay | Experience Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government (medical examiner) | ~$45,000 | $88,390 mean | High — structured GS scale |
| Corporate chains | ~$40,000 | ~$65,000 | Moderate — defined pay bands |
| Independent funeral homes | ~$35,000 | ~$55,000–$70,000 | Variable — depends on owner |
| Educational institutions | ~$50,000 | $78,790 mean | High — academic pay scales |
Government positions offer the most structured experience premium — federal GS pay scales provide automatic step increases tied to years of service. For morticians in medical examiner offices or military mortuary affairs, the experience curve is more predictable than in private practice.
Independent funeral homes have the most variable experience premium. In family-owned businesses, pay increases often depend on the owner’s financial situation and willingness to negotiate — not a formal scale.
What Accelerates Pay Growth
Experience alone doesn’t maximize pay. These factors accelerate movement through the pay range:
1. Geographic mobility
Moving from a low-wage state to a high-wage state can add more to your salary than 10 years of experience:
| State | Median | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $80,290 | +$30,490 |
| Minnesota | $76,490 | +$26,690 |
| Iowa | $63,770 | +$13,970 |
| National | $49,800 | — |
| California | $47,170 | -$2,630 |
| Texas | $36,760 | -$13,040 |
A 5-year mortician in Iowa earns more than a 15-year mortician in Texas.
2. Skill development
Salary.com identifies specific skills that command premiums regardless of experience level:
| Skill | Premium |
|---|---|
| Creativity (service design, memorial customization) | +18% |
| Communication | +9% |
| Continuous learning | +9% |
Restorative art specialization and bilingual capability (Spanish) also command above-median pay in specific markets.
3. Pursuing the management track actively
Morticians who signal management interest early — taking on administrative responsibilities, pursuing funeral home management coursework, building relationships with owners — reach the $76,830 median faster than those who wait for it to happen organically.
The Honest Ceiling for Non-Management Morticians
If you stay in a preparation-focused role without pursuing management or ownership, the realistic ceiling is:
- P75: $67,140 (experienced, higher-wage state)
- P90: $85,940 (senior, top states, specialized skills)
Reaching P90 as a non-management mortician typically requires 15+ years of experience, a high-wage state, and specialized skills. Most morticians plateau somewhere between P50 and P75 after 10–15 years.
The management track is the clearest path to breaking through that ceiling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to reach the median mortician salary?
Typically 3–7 years of licensed experience. The BLS P25 ($38,470) represents early career; the median ($49,800) is where most morticians land after establishing themselves. PayScale data shows the 1–4 year range averaging $51,456 — slightly above the BLS median, suggesting the median is reachable within the first few years for most practitioners.
Does experience matter more than location for mortician pay?
Location matters more at the extremes. A new licensee in Iowa ($63,770 state median) will likely earn more than a 10-year veteran in Texas ($36,760 state median). Within a given state, experience is the primary driver of pay growth.
What’s the fastest way to increase mortician pay?
In order of impact: (1) relocate to a high-wage state, (2) pursue the management track, (3) develop specialized skills (restorative art, bilingual capability), (4) negotiate at hire and at annual reviews. Experience-based raises alone are the slowest path.
Is there a salary ceiling for morticians?
Without management or ownership, the practical ceiling is P90 ($85,940 nationally). With management, the ceiling rises to $76,830 median (with P90 above $100,000 in some states). Ownership has no ceiling — but also no floor.
Know Your Number at Every Stage
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Data Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2024 — SOC 39-4031 salary percentiles; SOC 11-9061 funeral home manager data
- PayScale — experience curve and total compensation by experience level (111 responses, 2025)
- Salary.com — base salary growth by experience and skills premium data (2026)
→ See also: How Much Do Morticians Make? | How to Negotiate Your Mortician Salary | Is Becoming a Mortician Worth It? | What Skills Increase a Mortician’s Salary?