Funeral Home Managers Salary
Funeral Home Managers in California make a median of $82,370 a year, or about $39.6 an hour. The range runs from $61K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $77,605 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 47.8% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $82K get you in California?
About funeral home managers
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What this looks like in California
Funeral home managers pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $82K locally vs. $79K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 47.4% 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 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level funeral home managers (10th percentile) start around $61K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $77K spread from bottom to top.
Funeral Home Managers salary by metro in California
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $96K | +17% | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $94K | +14% | 90 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $83K | +0% | 60 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $82K | +0% | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $82K | +0% | 270 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $79K | -4% | 70 |
Compare to other states
Track funeral home managers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a funeral home manager afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 47.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for funeral home managers in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new funeral home managers typically earn — is $61K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,646/month. At HUD’s $2,471/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 home manager a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $82K locally vs. $79K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for funeral home managers?
California pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $79K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $78K — below the national median.
How much do funeral home managers make in California?
The median is $82,370 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $60,770, and experienced funeral home managers can clear $137,780. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,211/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 47.4% 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 funeral home managers salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (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 funeral home managers salary is worth about $77,605 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do funeral home managers 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.