Career Overview
Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.
Also Known As
- Embalmer
- Licensed Embalmer
- Trade Embalmer
Alternate Job Titles
- Anatomical Embalmer
- Arterial Embalmer
- Embalmer
- Funeral Embalmer
- Funeral Services Embalmer
- Licensed Embalmer
- Restorative Art Embalmer
- Trade Embalmer
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.
- Apply cosmetics to impart lifelike appearance to the deceased.
- Join lips, using needles and thread or wire.
- Close incisions, using needles and sutures.
- Incise stomach and abdominal walls and probe internal organs, using trocar, to withdraw blood and waste matter from organs.
- Clean and disinfect areas in which bodies are prepared and embalmed.
- Dress bodies and place them in caskets.
Knowledge You'll Use
You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
- Psychology
Essential Skills
Success in this career requires strong skills in:
- Speaking
- Active Listening
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Oral Comprehension
- Problem Sensitivity
- Oral Expression
- Speech Recognition
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Information Ordering
- Speech Clarity
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Support
- Independence
- Relationships
- Working Conditions
- Achievement
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Related Work Experience Needed: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
On-the-Job Training: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years
Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Adult trocars
- Air brushes
- Aneurysm needles
- Angular forceps
- Arm and hand positioners
- Axillary drain tubes
- Barber scissors
- Bistoury knives
- Blending brushes
- Body bags
- Body positioners
- Calvarium clamps
- Carotid tubes
- Casket lifters
- Centrifugal force pumps
Work Environment
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Time Pressure
- Frequency of Decision Making
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $35,160 |
| Median | $56,280 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $78,740 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 3,420
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $49,800
Funeral Attendants
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $34,610
Funeral Home Managers
Education: Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
Median Salary: $76,830
Crematory Operators
Education: Not specified
Median Salary: $42,880
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Education: Some College Courses
Median Salary: $62,340
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.