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Personal Care and Service

Embalmers

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

Visual summary of pay, outlook, skills, interests, and preparation for Embalmers
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Median pay

$56,280
Median annual pay for Embalmers.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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10-year growth

1.3%
Projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Annual openings

600
Projected annual openings, including growth and replacement demand.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Employment

3,600
Estimated U.S. employment for Embalmers in 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024
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Jobs added or lost

0
Projected numeric employment change from 2024 to 2034.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024–2034 projections
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Entry preparation

Associate's degree
Typical additional preparation: Long-term on-the-job training.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2024 profile
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O*NET occupation profile

What the work involves

Strongest O*NET signals first.

Essential skills

  1. 1Speaking
  2. 2Active Listening
  3. 3Critical Thinking
  4. 4Writing
  5. 5Active Learning
  6. 6Monitoring

Knowledge areas

  1. 1Customer and Personal Service
  2. 2Chemistry
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4English Language
  5. 5Law and Government
  6. 6Biology

Abilities

  1. 1Near Vision
  2. 2Oral Comprehension
  3. 3Problem Sensitivity
  4. 4Arm-Hand Steadiness
  5. 5Oral Expression
  6. 6Speech Recognition

Career interests

  1. 1Realistic
  2. 2Conventional
  3. 3Social
  4. 4Enterprising
  5. 5Investigative
  6. 6Artistic

Work styles

  1. 1Attention to Detail
  2. 2Dependability
  3. 3Integrity
  4. 4Stress Tolerance
  5. 5Self-Control
  6. 6Sincerity

Work activities

  1. 1Assisting and Caring for Others
  2. 2Documenting/Recording Information
  3. 3Handling and Moving Objects
  4. 4Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  5. 5Getting Information
  6. 6Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Work context

  1. 1Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  2. 2Telephone Conversations
  3. 3Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  4. 4Time Pressure
  5. 5Frequency of Decision Making
  6. 6Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results

Representative tasks

  • 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.
  • Make incisions in arms or thighs and drain blood from circulatory system and replace it with embalming fluid, using pump.

Software and tools

Microsoft Excel · hot technologyMicrosoft Office software · hot technologyMicrosoft Word · hot technologyBelmar & Associates MortwareCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteCustom Data Systems Sterling Management SoftwareFPA Software MACCSHMIS AdvantageTwin Tier Technologies MIMSWeb browser software

Sources

BLS provides national pay, employment, and projections. O*NET provides skills, interests, preparation, tasks, work context, and tools.

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