Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers Salary
The median pay for a morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC is $63,450/year ($30.51/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.57), that's roughly $65,030 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,711/month, about 40.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $63K get you in Durham-Chapel Hill?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Durham-Chapel Hill’s Regional Price Parity (97.57). 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 Durham-Chapel Hill
Durham-Chapel Hill sits well above the national pay line for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $55K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,711/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.57) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers in metros near Durham-Chapel Hill, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $58K | $60K |
| Asheville | $62K | $65K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $61K | $65K |
| Winston-Salem | $61K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC
Entry-level morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $56K 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
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a morticians, undertakers, and funeral arranger afford a 2BR apartment alone in Durham-Chapel Hill?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,711/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,063/month. At HUD’s $1,711/month FMR, rent would take 83% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $63K here vs. $55K nationally.
How does Durham-Chapel Hill compare to the national average for morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers?
Durham-Chapel Hill pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers make in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC?
The median is $63,450 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,380, and experienced morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers can clear $90,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Durham-Chapel Hill?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,180/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,711/month, which eats 40.9% 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 Durham-Chapel Hill?
Durham-Chapel Hill has a Regional Price Parity of 97.57 (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 morticians, undertakers, and funeral arrangers salary is worth about $65,030 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.