Embalmers vs Funeral Attendants: $59K vs $36K Median Pay

Embalmers vs Funeral Attendants: what changes?

Consider Embalmers if you want to prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements. Consider Funeral Attendants if you would rather perform a variety of tasks during funeral, such as placing casket in parlor or chapel prior to service, arranging floral offerings or lights around casket, directing or escorting mourners, closing casket, and…. Entry credentials differ: Embalmers, associate's degree; Funeral Attendants, high school diploma or equivalent.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Embalmers and Funeral Attendants. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Embalmers

National median pay (2025): $58,780
Route into the job: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 700

Know before you choose

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0.7%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

See the full Embalmers brief

Funeral Attendants

National median pay (2025): $35,680
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Greet people at the funeral home.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,400

Know before you choose

Deadline pressure is a recurring condition rather than an occasional emergency.

See the full Funeral Attendants brief

How the national numbers differ

Embalmers has the edge on median pay

Embalmers is at $58,780, compared with $35,680 for Funeral Attendants.

Funeral Attendants has the edge on annual openings

Funeral Attendants is at 5,400 annual openings, compared with 700 annual openings for Embalmers.

Typical preparation differs.

Embalmers: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Funeral Attendants: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Funeral Attendants has the edge on projected growth

Funeral Attendants is at 2.6% projected growth, compared with 0.7% projected growth for Embalmers.

32.7/ 100

Embalmers

41.2/ 100

Funeral Attendants

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence