Embalmers

Median salary

$58,780

Average salary

$58,390

Employment

3,890

Projected growth

1.3% growth

Annual openings

600

Typical entry education

Associate's degree

What Embalmers Do

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 4.8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.7/5
Chemistryimportance 3.6/5
Psychologyimportance 3.6/5
English Languageimportance 3.5/5
Law and Governmentimportance 3.4/5
Biologyimportance 3.2/5
Administration and Managementimportance 3.2/5
Administrativeimportance 3.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0/5
Telephone Conversations4.9/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9/5
Time Pressure4.7/5
Frequency of Decision Making4.7/5
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.7/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys94% skill match
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses94% skill match
Occupational Therapy Aides94% skill match
Opticians, Dispensing94% skill match
Physical Therapists93% skill match
Correctional Officers and Jailers93% skill match
Registered Nurses93% skill match
Psychiatric Aides92% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 2.8/5
Management of Personnel Resourcesimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Belmar & Associates Mortware
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
Custom Data Systems Sterling Management Software
FPA Software MACCS
HMIS Advantage
Twin Tier Technologies MIMS
Web browser software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Stress Tolerance
Self-Control
Sincerity
Cooperation

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
SocialMedium
EnterprisingLow
InvestigativeLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.