Funeral Attendants Salary
Funeral Attendants in Columbia, SC make a median of $28,870 a year, or about $13.88 an hour. The range runs from $22K at the entry level to $45K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.66), which stretches that salary to about $30,824 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,276/month, about 62.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Columbia?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbia’s Regional Price Parity (93.66). 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 funeral attendants
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What this looks like in Columbia
Pay for funeral attendants in Columbia runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $36K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,276/month, which is 61.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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 funeral attendantss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for funeral attendants in metros near Columbia, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $31K | $31K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $35K | $36K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $36K | $39K |
| Winston-Salem | $34K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbia, SC
Entry-level funeral attendants (10th percentile) start around $22K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $45K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Funeral Attendants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Funeral Attendants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $56K | +57% | 120 |
| Rhode Island | $54K | +50% | 190 |
| Nevada | $52K | +46% | 100 |
| Delaware | $47K | +31% | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +30% | 1,090 |
| Connecticut | $46K | +28% | 520 |
| Minnesota | $44K | +23% | 400 |
| New York | $42K | +18% | 1,450 |
| Colorado | $42K | +17% | 160 |
| Washington | $42K | +17% | 160 |
| Utah | $41K | +15% | 270 |
| Vermont | $41K | +14% | 30 |
| Oregon | $40K | +13% | 70 |
| Iowa | $40K | +12% | 460 |
| Maine | $39K | +10% | 220 |
| Missouri | $39K | +10% | 620 |
| Maryland | $39K | +9% | 670 |
| California | $39K | +8% | 1,790 |
| New Jersey | $37K | +4% | 540 |
| South Dakota | $37K | +4% | 120 |
| Montana | $37K | +4% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $36K | +2% | 1,930 |
| Wisconsin | $36K | +1% | 500 |
| Illinois | $36K | +0% | 730 |
| Ohio | $36K | -0% | 1,720 |
| Arizona | $35K | -1% | 420 |
| Michigan | $35K | -1% | 1,460 |
| Virginia | $35K | -2% | 1,450 |
| North Dakota | $35K | -2% | 130 |
| North Carolina | $35K | -2% | 1,610 |
| New Mexico | $35K | -2% | 170 |
| Indiana | $34K | -4% | 1,080 |
| Idaho | $33K | -7% | 70 |
| Wyoming | $33K | -8% | 60 |
| Arkansas | $32K | -11% | 140 |
| West Virginia | $31K | -12% | 350 |
| Kansas | $31K | -14% | 330 |
| Texas | $31K | -14% | 2,150 |
| Georgia | $31K | -14% | 1,070 |
| Mississippi | $31K | -14% | 280 |
| Oklahoma | $31K | -14% | 510 |
| Louisiana | $30K | -15% | 560 |
| Alabama | $30K | -15% | 550 |
| Florida | $30K | -15% | 1,700 |
| Nebraska | $30K | -15% | 270 |
| South Carolina | $30K | -16% | 930 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -17% | 1,090 |
| Kentucky | $29K | -18% | 560 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track funeral attendants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a funeral attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 61.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,276/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for funeral attendants in Columbia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new funeral attendants typically earn — is $22K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,291/month. At HUD’s $1,276/month FMR, rent would take 99% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is funeral attendant a high-paying job in Columbia?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $29K here vs. $36K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbia compare to the national average for funeral attendants?
Columbia pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $31K — below the national median.
How much do funeral attendants make in Columbia, SC?
The median is $28,870 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,520, and experienced funeral attendants can clear $45,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Columbia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,076/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,276/month, which eats 61.5% 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 funeral attendants salary go in Columbia?
Columbia has a Regional Price Parity of 93.66 (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 funeral attendants salary is worth about $30,824 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do funeral attendants 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.