Funeral Attendants Salary
Funeral Attendants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC make a median of $34,720 a year, or about $16.69 an hour. The range runs from $27K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.49), which stretches that salary to about $39,236 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,095/month, about 45.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $35K get you in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton’s Regional Price Parity (88.49). 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton
Funeral attendants pay in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton tracks closely to the national median, $35K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 3% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,095/month, which is 46.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for funeral attendants in metros near Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $35K | $36K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $36K | $39K |
| Winston-Salem | $34K | $37K |
| Asheville | $36K | $37K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC
Entry-level funeral attendants (10th percentile) start around $27K. Mid-career wages sit at $35K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $33K 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a funeral attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $35K, rent takes 46.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,095/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for funeral attendants in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new funeral attendants typically earn — is $27K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,615/month. At HUD’s $1,095/month FMR, rent would take 68% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $35K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton compare to the national average for funeral attendants?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton pays $35K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $39K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do funeral attendants make in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC?
The median is $34,720 a year, that works out to about $17 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $26,920, and experienced funeral attendants can clear $59,590. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $35K enough to live in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,365/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,095/month, which eats 46.3% 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 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton?
Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton has a Regional Price Parity of 88.49 (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 $39,236 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.