Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers Salary
The median pay for a morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in Charleston-North Charleston, SC is $37,980/year ($18.26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $37,619 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 69% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $38K actually covers in Charleston-North Charleston, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). 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 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers
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What this looks like in Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 67.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $44K | $47K |
| Columbia | $48K | $51K |
| Florence | $33K | $38K |
| Spartanburg | $36K | $39K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $60K spread from bottom to top.
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | $82K | +48% | 80 |
| Utah | $73K | +32% | 240 |
| Illinois | $70K | +27% | 1,320 |
| New Jersey | $69K | +26% | 580 |
| Nebraska | $64K | +17% | 210 |
| Iowa | $64K | +16% | 640 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | +16% | 910 |
| New York | $63K | +15% | 1,030 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +13% | 430 |
| Indiana | $61K | +11% | 630 |
| Maine | $61K | +11% | 80 |
| Colorado | $61K | +11% | 320 |
| North Carolina | $61K | +10% | 1,000 |
| Michigan | $60K | +10% | 810 |
| Idaho | $60K | +10% | 160 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +9% | 110 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +9% | 300 |
| Washington | $60K | +9% | 400 |
| Kansas | $59K | +6% | 230 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +6% | 580 |
| Maryland | $58K | +6% | 500 |
| Ohio | $58K | +5% | 1,370 |
| New Hampshire | $58K | +5% | 80 |
| Wyoming | $56K | +1% | 40 |
| Rhode Island | $55K | +1% | 40 |
| California | $51K | -8% | 2,240 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -8% | 100 |
| Georgia | $50K | -9% | 780 |
| Minnesota | $50K | -10% | 500 |
| Vermont | $49K | -11% | 40 |
| Oregon | $49K | -12% | 220 |
| Florida | $49K | -12% | 1,510 |
| Mississippi | $48K | -12% | 320 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -13% | 180 |
| South Dakota | $48K | -13% | 200 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -13% | 380 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -15% | 440 |
| Texas | $47K | -15% | 1,500 |
| Hawaii | $46K | -16% | 150 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -16% | 550 |
| Alabama | $45K | -18% | 420 |
| Nevada | $44K | -20% | 280 |
| Montana | $44K | -21% | 110 |
| Kentucky | $43K | -21% | 470 |
| Missouri | $43K | -22% | 790 |
| Arizona | $42K | -24% | 360 |
| South Carolina | $40K | -27% | 400 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -34% | 360 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers salary changes
BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Charleston-North Charleston numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a morticians, undertakers, and funeral arranger afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 67.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,223/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 80% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is morticians, undertakers, and funeral arranger a high-paying job in Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $38K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $37,980 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,150, and experienced morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers can clear $91,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,646/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 67.5% 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 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers salary go in Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (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 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers salary is worth about $37,619 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers 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.