Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Director Salary Information in California

The average annual salaries for morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors among California areas is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1 & 2. Annual Salary of Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in California (2022 Survey)

Percentile bracketAverage annual salary
10th Percentile Wage
$33,750
25th Percentile Wage
$37,590
50th Percentile Wage
$45,310
75th Percentile Wage
$54,880
90th Percentile Wage
$70,340

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $70,340. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $45,310. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $33,750.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$45,310
13.24% -13.62%
2021
$39,310
-25.57% -
2020
$49,360
-1.05% -
2019
$49,880
7.90% -
2018
$45,940
8.21% -
2017
$42,170
2.37% -
2016
$41,170
6.56% -
2015
$38,470
-8.71% -
2014
$41,820
-12.12% -
2013
$46,890
-9.79% -
2012
$51,480
- -

Table 3. Median Annual Salary of Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Directors in California Cities (2022 Survey)

Table 3 shows the median annual salary of morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors in state of California ranges from $32,130 to $53,790. The highest paying area for morticians, undertakers, and funeral directors in California is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara with a median annual salary of $53,790. The second highest paying city/area in California State is San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City (mean annual salary $49,860). The lowest paying area is Chico with a median annual salary of $32,130.

Cities/Areas Median Annual Salary
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
$53,790
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
$49,860
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
$49,520
Stockton
$48,990
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
$45,930
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
$45,760
San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos
$44,520
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
$43,500
Fresno
$42,130
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale
$41,370
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine
$40,170
Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville
$40,080
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
$39,930
Bakersfield-Delano
$39,440
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana
$37,970
Modesto
$37,410
Oakland-Fremont-Hayward
$36,690
Visalia-Porterville
$36,500
Chico
$32,130