Embalmers Salary
In Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA, embalmers earn $55,380 at the median, or about $26.63 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $52,029 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 60.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $55K actually covers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Embalmers pay in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 6% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,201/month, which is 58.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for embalmers in metros near Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $62K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level embalmers (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $31K 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 with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track embalmers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a embalmer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 58.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for embalmers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new embalmers typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,165/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for embalmers?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $52K — below the national median.
How much do embalmers make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $55,380 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,050, and experienced embalmers can clear $76,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,744/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 58.8% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median embalmers salary is worth about $52,029 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.