Prevailing Wage for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Prevailing wages for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers are set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, and they vary significantly depending on where the worksite is located. Whether your offer is for a Funeral Arrangement Director, Funeral Arranger, or Funeral Counselor role, DOL assigns one of four experience-based wage levels, each carrying its own floor.
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Entry-level candidates with limited professional experience in funeral services, typically recent mortuary science graduates or those completing initial licensure requirements. Work is closely supervised, with a narrow scope covering basic arrangement and coordination tasks under direct oversight.
The most common filing level for funeral service professionals. Candidates have a few years of licensed, independent practice, handle arrangement conferences without close supervision, and are competent across the standard range of funeral director and arranger duties.
Experienced funeral directors who manage complex arrangements, handle difficult family situations independently, and may oversee junior staff or satellite locations. Typically reflects candidates with six or more years of licensed practice and a demonstrated specialty track record.
Fully competent senior funeral professionals, including licensed managers overseeing multiple locations or large-volume funeral homes. Sets policy, trains staff, and holds full operational responsibility. Represents the top of the wage range for this occupation.
Prevailing Wage for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Confirm your state license aligns with your filing level
Funeral directors and arrangers require state-issued licenses, and licensure stage often determines whether DOL classifies a candidate at Level 1 or Level 2. An offer filed at Level 1 while you hold a full independent license may undervalue your credentials and compress your wage floor.
Watch out for metro wage gaps in the Midwest
Des Moines and Minneapolis show substantially higher prevailing wages than San Antonio or Jackson for the same role. If your employer has multiple chapel locations, confirm the LCA lists your primary worksite city, since the wage floor is tied to the specific location on the application.
Separate base pay from funeral home incentive compensation
Some funeral home employers structure part of compensation as per-call fees or arrangement bonuses. DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against the guaranteed base salary only, so variable per-call pay cannot substitute for meeting the wage floor on a sponsored petition.
Find employers who have sponsored funeral directors before
Migrate Mate shows which funeral home operators and funeral service companies have a documented H-1B or green card sponsorship history, so you can focus your search on employers already familiar with the DOL LCA process for this occupation rather than educating a first-time sponsor.
Jobs for Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 39-4031.00 alongside Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Funeral Arrangement Director Prevailing Wage
Funeral Arrangement Director Prevailing Wage
Funeral Arrangement Director positions fall under SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Funeral Arranger Prevailing Wage
Funeral Arranger Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Funeral Arranger for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Funeral Counselor Prevailing Wage
Funeral Counselor Prevailing Wage
Funeral Counselor is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Funeral Director Prevailing Wage
Funeral Director Prevailing Wage
Funeral Director positions fall under SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Funeral Family Service Assistant Prevailing Wage
Funeral Family Service Assistant Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Funeral Family Service Assistant for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Funeral Location Manager Prevailing Wage
Funeral Location Manager Prevailing Wage
Funeral Location Manager is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Funeral Prearrangement Counselor Prevailing Wage
Funeral Prearrangement Counselor Prevailing Wage
Funeral Prearrangement Counselor positions fall under SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Licensed Funeral Director Prevailing Wage
Licensed Funeral Director Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Licensed Funeral Director for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Licensed Mortician Prevailing Wage
Licensed Mortician Prevailing Wage
Licensed Mortician is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Mortician Prevailing Wage
Mortician Prevailing Wage
Mortician positions fall under SOC 39-4031.00 (Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for funeral directors and arrangers?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For each metro area, the data is sliced into four percentile bands corresponding to Levels 1 through 4. When an employer files a Labor Condition Application with OFLC, the certified wage must meet or exceed the level assigned on that application for the worksite location.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
Level 1 covers entry-level candidates under close supervision, typically those newly licensed. Level 2 is for independently practicing funeral professionals with moderate experience and is the most commonly filed level for this occupation. Level 3 reflects experienced directors managing complex work or junior staff. Level 4 is for senior managers with full operational responsibility. Your employer selects the level based on the actual duties and supervision structure of the posted position.
Why does the prevailing wage for funeral arrangers vary so much between cities?
DOL's OFLC wage floors are derived from regional labor market surveys, so they reflect local cost of labor rather than a national standard. An employer must list the actual worksite on the LCA, and the wage floor for that specific metro applies. Minneapolis and Manchester show significantly higher floors than Jackson or San Antonio because local hiring competition and cost of labor differ. A multi-location funeral home group must use the wage for each employee's primary worksite.
What happens if my sponsored job offer is below the DOL prevailing wage?
An LCA filed with an offered wage below the prevailing wage for the assigned level will not be certified by OFLC. If the petition proceeds to USCIS with a non-certified or incorrectly priced LCA, it faces denial. For sponsored candidates, this means the visa petition fails before it reaches adjudication. Employers must either increase the offered salary to meet the floor or reclassify the position at a lower level if the duties genuinely support that classification.
How can I verify the prevailing wage for a funeral director role in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up wages by SOC code, wage level, and metropolitan area. Search for SOC 39-4031 and select the metro closest to the worksite. The result shows the current wage floor for each of the four levels. Cross-reference with your offer letter to confirm the base salary meets or exceeds the level your employer intends to file at. Migrate Mate also shows which employers have historically sponsored roles in this occupation, helping you identify sponsors before you apply.
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