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Embalmers

Typical education: Associate degreeHigh pressure

What they do

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $58,780 Median per year · $28.26/hr Most earn $38,310–$77,570

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Maintain records, such as itemized lists of clothing or valuables delivered with body and names of persons embalmed.
  • Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.
  • Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.
  • Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.
  • Arrange funeral home equipment and perform general maintenance.
  • Remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home.

Job outlook

United States
1% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Death care services97.3%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Associate degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Embalming is not usually a straight-out-of-school job. Most people earn an associate degree in mortuary science and then work 1 to 2 years in funeral service before they take on embalming duties. Plan on roughly 3 to 4 years of school and experience after high school.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a strong science and communication foundation, since mortuary science programs expect solid biology and chemistry skills.

  2. Associate degree in mortuary science

    2 years

    Study anatomy, chemistry, restorative art, and funeral service law, and complete the hands-on training needed to prepare for licensing.

  3. Funeral Attendant

    1-2 years

    Help families, handle the daily work of a funeral home, and learn how bodies are cared for and moved, which builds the experience employers look for before embalming.

  4. Embalmer

    Ongoing

    Once you have the degree, experience, and any state license required, you prepare bodies for burial or cremation according to legal and health rules.

Where it can lead

  1. Mortician

    2-5 years of experience first

    You take on more responsibility for the whole funeral process, meeting with families, planning services, and overseeing the work of others.

  2. Funeral Home Manager

    3-5 years of experience first

    You run the business side of a funeral home, including staff, budgets, and operations, which usually requires strong leadership and management experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology and chemistryThese classes build the science knowledge you will use in anatomy and embalming coursework later.
  • Take a speech or communication classFuneral work involves talking with grieving families, so clear and kind communication is essential.
  • Get a first aid or CPR certificationMany community groups offer these courses, and they show you can stay calm and help in emergencies.
  • Look for a job or volunteer role in customer serviceAny job that involves caring for people, such as at a store or senior center, builds the patience and reliability funeral employers want.
  • Ask to job shadow at a funeral homeSeeing the work firsthand helps you learn whether this career is a good fit for you.

In college

  • Enroll in a mortuary science associate degree programThis is the education path most embalmers take, and it covers anatomy, chemistry, and funeral service law.
  • Take anatomy, chemistry, and microbiologyThese science courses form the base for embalming and for understanding health and safety rules.
  • Work part-time at a funeral homeStarter roles such as funeral attendant give you the 1 to 2 years of experience that employers commonly look for.
  • Join a student or professional funeral service groupMany programs and towns have student chapters or local associations where you can meet working professionals and learn about the field.
  • Learn about your state's licensing requirementsKnowing the exams and hours needed for a license early helps you plan your coursework and experience.

Tips for getting started

  • Check your state's licensing rules early. Requirements for embalmers and funeral directors vary by state, so look up your state's funeral board to see what education and exams you will need.
  • Ask a local funeral director if you can shadow them or talk with them for an hour. Hearing what the job is really like can help you decide if it fits you.
  • Build people skills now. Families are often grieving, so being calm, kind, and clear in conversations matters as much as the technical work.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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