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Best states for a funeral director
Quoted expert
Barbara Kemmis
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Do you want to become a funeral director at Embalmer, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for funeral directors that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for funeral directors. We found that Indiana is the best state in the nation for funeral directors, and people in Fairbanks earn the most in the field.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for funeral directors.Indiana is the best state, and Fairbanks is the city with the highest pay for funeral directors.
10 best states for funeral directors in 2025
1. Indiana
Total funeral director jobs: 27 Average annual salary: $41,365 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 0.35
2. Oregon
Total funeral director jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $44,201 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Location Quotient: 0.23
3. Arizona
Total funeral director jobs: 21 Average annual salary: $41,977 Lowest 10 percent earn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Location Quotient: 0.31
4. Pennsylvania
Total funeral director jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $43,722 Lowest 10 percent earn: $33,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $56,000 Location Quotient: 0.09
5. Alabama
Total funeral director jobs: 511 Average annual salary: $39,437 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 9.85
6. Mississippi
Total funeral director jobs: 302 Average annual salary: $39,597 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 12.11
7. Nebraska
Total funeral director jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $40,611 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location Quotient: 0.34
8. Oklahoma
Total funeral director jobs: 448 Average annual salary: $39,239 Lowest 10 percent earn: $30,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $51,000 Location Quotient: 12.37
9. Alaska
Total funeral director jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $48,136 Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $59,000 Location Quotient: 0
10. North Dakota
Total funeral director jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $44,733 Lowest 10 percent earn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Location Quotient: 0
Funeral director jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a funeral director
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a funeral director
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | $41,365 | $31,000 | 6,666,818 | 27 |
| 2 | Oregon | $44,201 | $31,000 | 4,142,776 | 11 |
| 3 | Arizona | $41,977 | $31,000 | 7,016,270 | 21 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $43,722 | $33,000 | 12,805,537 | 12 |
| 5 | Alabama | $39,437 | $30,000 | 4,874,747 | 511 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $39,597 | $30,000 | 2,984,100 | 302 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $40,611 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $39,239 | $30,000 | 3,930,864 | 448 |
| 9 | Alaska | $48,136 | $39,000 | 739,795 | 0 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $44,733 | $34,000 | 755,393 | 0 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $43,654 | $33,000 | 5,795,483 | 4 |
| 12 | Maine | $42,438 | $35,000 | 1,335,907 | 2 |
| 13 | Washington | $44,401 | $32,000 | 7,405,743 | 10 |
| 14 | California | $43,696 | $32,000 | 39,536,653 | 82 |
| 15 | Florida | $39,853 | $30,000 | 20,984,400 | 82 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $44,076 | $34,000 | 5,576,606 | 1 |
| 17 | Idaho | $42,973 | $31,000 | 1,716,943 | 0 |
| 18 | Virginia | $41,552 | $32,000 | 8,470,020 | 20 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $39,692 | $30,000 | 10,273,419 | 22 |
| 20 | Missouri | $39,612 | $30,000 | 6,113,532 | 9 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $40,940 | $30,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 22 | Utah | $41,370 | $30,000 | 3,101,833 | 2 |
| 23 | Georgia | $39,330 | $30,000 | 10,429,379 | 22 |
| 24 | Iowa | $34,167 | $26,000 | 3,145,711 | 524 |
| 25 | Michigan | $35,726 | $27,000 | 9,962,311 | 10 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $35,966 | $27,000 | 9,005,644 | 25 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $34,626 | $27,000 | 1,059,639 | 2 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $32,675 | $25,000 | 1,815,857 | 6 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $32,029 | $24,000 | 3,004,279 | 496 |
| 30 | Texas | $33,104 | $25,000 | 28,304,596 | 81 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $35,350 | $30,000 | 1,427,538 | 3 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $34,060 | $27,000 | 1,342,795 | 4 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $32,062 | $24,000 | 6,715,984 | 31 |
| 34 | Nevada | $33,651 | $24,000 | 2,998,039 | 5 |
| 35 | New York | $36,078 | $28,000 | 19,849,399 | 11 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $31,693 | $24,000 | 4,684,333 | 493 |
| 37 | Illinois | $34,763 | $26,000 | 12,802,023 | 11 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $33,131 | $25,000 | 2,088,070 | 3 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $33,776 | $25,000 | 869,666 | 0 |
| 40 | Ohio | $33,454 | $25,000 | 11,658,609 | 7 |
| 41 | Montana | $34,554 | $25,000 | 1,050,493 | 0 |
| 42 | Delaware | $34,341 | $26,000 | 961,939 | 1 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $34,418 | $27,000 | 6,859,819 | 8 |
| 44 | Maryland | $33,961 | $26,000 | 6,052,177 | 9 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $34,867 | $27,000 | 3,588,184 | 0 |
| 46 | Kansas | $32,309 | $24,000 | 2,913,123 | 4 |
| 47 | Vermont | $33,889 | $27,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $33,747 | $26,000 | 693,972 | 0 |
| 49 | Colorado | $28,907 | $21,000 | 5,607,154 | 22 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $31,471 | $24,000 | 4,454,189 | 2 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $30,990 | $24,000 | 5,024,369 | 4 |
Highest paying states for funeral directors
| Rank | State | Avg. Funeral Director Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | $41,365 |
| 2 | Oregon | $44,201 |
| 3 | Arizona | $41,977 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania | $43,722 |
| 5 | Alabama | $39,437 |
| 6 | Mississippi | $39,597 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $40,611 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $39,239 |
| 9 | Alaska | $48,136 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $44,733 |
| 11 | Wisconsin | $43,654 |
| 12 | Maine | $42,438 |
| 13 | Washington | $44,401 |
| 14 | California | $43,696 |
| 15 | Florida | $39,853 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $44,076 |
| 17 | Idaho | $42,973 |
| 18 | Virginia | $41,552 |
| 19 | North Carolina | $39,692 |
| 20 | Missouri | $39,612 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $40,940 |
| 22 | Utah | $41,370 |
| 23 | Georgia | $39,330 |
| 24 | Iowa | $34,167 |
| 25 | Michigan | $35,726 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $35,966 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $34,626 |
| 28 | West Virginia | $32,675 |
| 29 | Arkansas | $32,029 |
| 30 | Texas | $33,104 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $35,350 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $34,060 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $32,062 |
| 34 | Nevada | $33,651 |
| 35 | New York | $36,078 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $31,693 |
| 37 | Illinois | $34,763 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $33,131 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $33,776 |
| 40 | Ohio | $33,454 |
| 41 | Montana | $34,554 |
| 42 | Delaware | $34,341 |
| 43 | Massachusetts | $34,418 |
| 44 | Maryland | $33,961 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $34,867 |
| 46 | Kansas | $32,309 |
| 47 | Vermont | $33,889 |
| 48 | District of Columbia | $33,747 |
| 49 | Colorado | $28,907 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $31,471 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $30,990 |
Expert opinions on the best states for funeral directors
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for funeral directors to find work opportunities?
Barbara Kemmis
Executive Director, Cremation Association of North America
Generally speaking, there is strong demand throughout the U.S., but there is a great need for licensed funeral directors in rural areas of the country. These positions often come with housing (i.e., an apartment above a funeral home) and great wages.
Funeral director best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025