What Do Embalmer Do?
Embalmer Definition Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.
Embalmer Responsibilities
- Reshape or reconstruct disfigured or maimed bodies when necessary, using dermasurgery techniques and materials such as clay, cotton, plaster of Paris, and wax.
- Assist with placing caskets in hearses and organize cemetery processions.
- Dress bodies and place them in caskets.
- Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.
- Remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home.
- Press diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs.
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Embalmer Needed Skills
When polled, Embalmers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
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.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Funeral Director/Embalmer
- Preparation Room Manager
- Funeral Service Practitioner/Embalmer
- Assistant Manager/Embalmer
- Funeral Director/Embalmer/Owner
Embalmer Job Outlook
There were about 3,700 jobs for Embalmer in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Embalmer. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 600 job openings in this field each 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.
Embalmer Average Salary
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.
How much do Embalmers make 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
What kind of Embalmer requirements are there?

What work experience do I need to become an Embalmer?

Where do Embalmers Work?

Embalmers work in the following industries:

References:
Image Credit: Senior Airman Andrew Lee via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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