All About Embalmers

Job Description & Duties Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

Daily Life Of an Embalmer

• 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.
• Assist with placing caskets in hearses and organize cemetery processions.
• Press diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs.
• Supervise funeral attendants and other funeral home staff.
• Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.

Embalmer Required Skills

Embalmers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Other Embalmer Job Titles

• Manager, Embalmer, Funeral Director
• Trade Embalmer
• Funeral Service Practitioner/Embalmer
• Anatomical Embalmer
• Prep Room Supervisor

Job Opportunities for Embalmers

In 2016, there was an estimated number of 3,700 jobs in the United States for Embalmer. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Embalmer. There will be an estimated 600 positions for Embalmer per year.

The states with the most job growth for Embalmer are North Carolina, Colorado, and Tennessee. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Kentucky, or Illinois. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

What is the Average Salary of an Embalmer

The average yearly salary of an Embalmer ranges between $25,260 and $71,920.

Embalmers who work in New York, Oregon, or Ohio, make the highest salaries.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Embalmers in different U.S. states.

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$40,780
Arizona	$46,090
Arkansas	$40,270
California	$50,280
Colorado	$40,180
Florida	$47,070
Georgia	$36,570
Hawaii	$39,320
Illinois	$48,750
Indiana	$35,880
Kansas	$47,180
Kentucky	$39,790
Louisiana	$47,320
Massachusetts	$46,320
Michigan	$48,160
Mississippi	$38,890
Missouri	$52,810
Nevada	$33,260
New York	$91,760
Ohio	$56,010
Oklahoma	$48,360
Oregon	$51,960
South Carolina	$41,720
Tennessee	$44,840
Texas	$44,450
Virginia	$46,710

What Tools do Embalmers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Embalmers:

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

Becoming an Embalmer

Individuals working as an Embalmer have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Embalmers Work

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Senior Airman Andrew Lee via Public domain

More about our data sources and methodologies.