Embalmers Salary
In Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, embalmers earn $56,980 at the median, or about $27.4 an hour. The range runs from $44K at the entry level to $84K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.34), that's roughly $59,145 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,730/month, about 43.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $57K get you in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin’s Regional Price Parity (96.34). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About embalmers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin
Embalmers pay in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,730/month, which is 43.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.34) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for embalmers in metros near Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $46K | $49K |
| St. Louis | $63K | $66K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $55K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN
Entry-level embalmers (10th percentile) start around $44K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $84K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Embalmers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Embalmers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $72K | +22% | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $70K | +19% | 50 |
| North Carolina | $69K | +17% | 70 |
| Missouri | $66K | +13% | 160 |
| Virginia | $64K | +9% | 120 |
| Kansas | $63K | +7% | 120 |
| Indiana | $62K | +6% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $62K | +5% | 140 |
| Illinois | $62K | +5% | 60 |
| Rhode Island | $60K | +3% | 40 |
| Florida | $60K | +2% | 300 |
| California | $60K | +2% | 520 |
| Mississippi | $59K | +0% | 40 |
| Arkansas | $58K | -1% | 90 |
| Texas | $57K | -2% | 680 |
| Oregon | $57K | -3% | 70 |
| Colorado | $57K | -3% | 70 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -6% | 180 |
| Georgia | $55K | -6% | 50 |
| Louisiana | $55K | -7% | 150 |
| Massachusetts | $54K | -8% | 100 |
| West Virginia | $54K | -8% | 50 |
| Alabama | $53K | -10% | 90 |
| Washington | $51K | -14% | 40 |
| Kentucky | $50K | -15% | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -16% | 90 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -23% | 30 |
| Iowa | $39K | -33% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 28 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track embalmers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin numbers change.
Related careers in Personal Care
Frequently asked questions
Can a embalmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 43.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,730/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for embalmers in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new embalmers typically earn — is $44K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,636/month. At HUD’s $1,730/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is embalmer a high-paying job in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin compare to the national average for embalmers?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.34), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do embalmers make in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN?
The median is $56,980 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $43,930, and experienced embalmers can clear $84,370. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,985/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,730/month, which eats 43.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a embalmers salary go in Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin?
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin has a Regional Price Parity of 96.34 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median embalmers salary is worth about $59,145 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do embalmers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.