Embalmers Salary
In Oklahoma City, OK, embalmers earn $49,120 at the median, or about $23.62 an hour. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.41), which stretches that salary to about $54,330 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,244/month, about 37.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Oklahoma City?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Oklahoma City’s Regional Price Parity (90.41). 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
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What this looks like in Oklahoma City
Pay for embalmers in Oklahoma City runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,244/month, which is 37.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.41 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for embalmerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for embalmers in metros near Oklahoma City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $58K | $57K |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $58K | $59K |
| St. Louis | $63K | $66K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $45K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Oklahoma City, OK
Entry-level embalmers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $15K 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 Oklahoma City numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a embalmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Oklahoma City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 37.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,244/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for embalmers in Oklahoma City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new embalmers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,225/month. At HUD’s $1,244/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Oklahoma City?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $49K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Oklahoma City compare to the national average for embalmers?
Oklahoma City pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do embalmers make in Oklahoma City, OK?
The median is $49,120 a year, that works out to about $24 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,080, and experienced embalmers can clear $51,850. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Oklahoma City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,305/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,244/month, which eats 37.6% 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 Oklahoma City?
Oklahoma City has a Regional Price Parity of 90.41 (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 $54,330 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.