8122/Death Care Services
US businesses, employees and payroll, 2017 to 2023
141K
employees, 2023
141K
employees, 2023
In 2023, 20,232 US Death Care Services business locations employed 140,806 people and paid $6.4 billion in annual payroll, $45,709 per employee on average. Employment was down 1.6% from 2022. California had the most employees.
Updated Oct 9, 2026 · data year 2023
Business locations
20,232
-1.3% vs 2022
Employees
140,806
-1.6% vs 2022
Annual payroll
$6.4B
+2.7% vs 2022
Average pay
$45,709
+4.4% vs 2022
Over the years
United States, 2017 to 2023
Employees
Paid employees in mid-March
Business locations
Places with paid employees
By state
Employees of Death Care Services in each state, 2023
Employees by state
States with the most employees
Employees and the share of all the state's jobs
| State | Business locations | Employees | Average pay | Share of state jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,081 | 12,134 | $64,464 | 0.07% |
| Texas | 1,264 | 10,927 | $42,762 | 0.09% |
| Florida | 864 | 7,864 | $43,870 | 0.08% |
| New York | 1,438 | 7,770 | $57,081 | 0.09% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,462 | 7,319 | $42,254 | 0.13% |
| Ohio | 1,039 | 6,713 | $40,144 | 0.13% |
| Michigan | 691 | 5,601 | $40,553 | 0.14% |
| Illinois | 976 | 5,397 | $50,862 | 0.10% |
| North Carolina | 668 | 5,135 | $38,044 | 0.12% |
| Virginia | 507 | 4,493 | $41,046 | 0.13% |
| Tennessee | 554 | 4,221 | $42,245 | 0.14% |
| Georgia | 563 | 4,160 | $40,913 | 0.09% |
| Indiana | 636 | 4,148 | $39,150 | 0.14% |
| New Jersey | 625 | 3,595 | $58,851 | 0.09% |
| Missouri | 528 | 3,409 | $39,252 | 0.13% |
The 15 states with the most employees. Download the CSV for all 51.
Top metro areas
Metro and micro areas with the most Death Care Services employees, 2023
Metro areas with the most employees
| Metro area | Locations | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 999 | 7,054 | $66,071 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 290 | 5,107 | $75,160 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 538 | 3,271 | $58,764 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 435 | 2,740 | $52,111 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 239 | 2,448 | $46,128 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 198 | 2,357 | $50,179 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 226 | 2,326 | $50,110 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 228 | 2,281 | $47,260 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 232 | 1,918 | $44,236 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 361 | 1,898 | $38,764 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 184 | 1,864 | $54,889 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 291 | 1,852 | $60,614 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 203 | 1,612 | $41,373 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 151 | 1,554 | $47,585 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 131 | 1,495 | $67,936 |
Business size
US Death Care Services business locations by number of employees, 2023
Locations by size
| Employees | Locations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 10,461 | 51.7% |
| 5 to 9 | 5,495 | 27.2% |
| 10 to 19 | 3,129 | 15.5% |
| 20 to 49 | 1,009 | 5.0% |
| 50 to 99 | 109 | 0.5% |
| 100 to 249 | 27 | 0.1% |
| 250 to 499 | Not published | - |
| 500 to 999 | Not published | - |
| 1,000 or more | Not published | - |
Related industries
Death Care Services and the 2 industries directly below it
Part of Other Services (except Public Administration) 81Personal and Laundry Services 812
| Code | Industry | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 81221 | Funeral Homes and Funeral Services | 107,566 | $43,650 |
| 81222 | Cemeteries and Crematories | 33,240 | $52,375 |
Questions and answers
How many people work in Death Care Services in the US?
140,806 people worked at 20,232 US Death Care Services business locations in 2023, down 1.6% from 2022. That is 0.10% of all US private-sector employees.
What is the average pay in Death Care Services?
$45,709 a year per employee in 2023, from $6.4 billion in annual payroll (up 4.4% from 2022). The average across all US industries was $68,342.
Which state has the most Death Care Services jobs?
California had the most, with 12,134 employees in 2023, followed by Texas (10,927) and Florida (7,864).
Which metro areas have the most Death Care Services jobs?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (7,054), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (5,107), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (3,271) had the most Death Care Services employees in 2023.
Are most Death Care Services businesses small?
94.3% of the 20,230 Death Care Services business locations had fewer than 20 employees in 2023, and 0 had 500 or more.
Official US government statistics, published once a year. Business locations are places with paid employees; employees are counted in mid-March; payroll covers the whole year. Covers most private employers, not the self-employed, most government workers or farm workers on farms. * Less accurate: changed by 5% or more to protect privacy. Changes from the year before are shown only when both years use the same edition of the industry codes.