Occupation · SOC 39-4011
Embalmers
Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.
Median wage
$56,280
$35,160–$78,740
Projected growth
—
—
Annual openings
—
per year
Employed (US)
3,420
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
32 mapped
Core skills
SpeakingActive ListeningSocial PerceptivenessService OrientationWritingCritical ThinkingTime ManagementReading Comprehension
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceChemistryPsychologyEnglish LanguageLaw and Government
Technology & tools
Data base user interface and query softwareOffice suite softwareSpreadsheet softwareWord processing softwareInternet browser software
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.Remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home.Perform the duties of funeral directors, including coordinating funeral activities.Attach trocar to pump-tube, start pump, and repeat probing to force embalming fluid into organs.Pack body orifices with cotton saturated with embalming fluid to prevent escape of gases or waste matter.Reshape or reconstruct disfigured or maimed bodies when necessary, using dermasurgery techniques and materials such as clay, cotton, plaster of Paris, and wax.Conduct interviews to arrange for the preparation of obituary notices, to assist with the selection of caskets or urns, and to determine the location and time of burials or cremations.Insert convex celluloid or cotton between eyeballs and eyelids to prevent slipping and sinking of eyelids.Assist with placing caskets in hearses and organize cemetery processions.Maintain records, such as itemized lists of clothing or valuables delivered with body and names of persons embalmed.Wash and dry bodies, using germicidal soap and towels or hot air dryers.Arrange for transporting the deceased to another state for interment.Perform special procedures necessary for remains that are to be transported to other states or overseas, or where death was caused by infectious disease.Supervise funeral attendants and other funeral home staff.Serve as pallbearers, attend visiting rooms, and provide other assistance to the bereaved.Direct casket and floral display placement and arrange guest seating.Arrange funeral home equipment and perform general maintenance.Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.Press diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Health and sanitation regulations — identify and apply under direct supervision to ensure legal embalming requirements are met in a licensed funeral home.Embalming instruments and chemicals — recognize and handle under guidance during introductory preparation-room orientation.Blood drainage and fluid replacement procedures — observe and assist with circulatory embalming steps under a licensed embalmer's supervision.Incisions on arms or thighs — perform basic entry-level cuts under direct oversight while learning proper arterial embalming technique.Lip closure techniques — practice needle and thread or wire joining methods on prepared specimens under close instructor guidance.Cosmetic application fundamentals — apply basic restorative products to the deceased under supervision to approximate a lifelike appearance.Preparation room sanitation protocols — clean and disinfect work areas following established procedures after each embalming case.Postmortem documentation — complete initial intake records using funeral home office software under a supervising embalmer's direction.Body dressing and casketing steps — assist in dressing remains and placing them in caskets according to family instructions and facility protocols.Chemical safety data — read and interpret product labels and SDS sheets to follow safe handling procedures in the preparation room.
developing
Legal compliance requirements — apply state and local embalming regulations routinely across standard cases with minimal supervisory review.Arterial embalming procedure — execute blood drainage and embalming-fluid injection using a pump independently on routine adult cases.Abdominal cavity treatment — incise stomach and abdominal walls and use a trocar to withdraw blood and waste matter with growing consistency and accuracy.Incision closure technique — close arterial and cavity incisions using sutures with reliable results that meet professional presentation standards.Restorative cosmetics — select and blend cosmetic products appropriate to individual skin tones to achieve a natural, lifelike appearance for viewing.Preparation-room disinfection — implement and document cleaning and disinfection cycles consistently, adapting to varying case complexity.Family communication — speak with bereaved families using active listening and social perceptiveness to gather accurate preparation instructions.Case records management — maintain embalming logs and intake forms in database and word-processing software with accuracy and timeliness.Time management across concurrent cases — schedule and sequence embalming tasks to meet service deadlines within a busy funeral home setting.Restorative art for common trauma — address visible surface conditions using learned reconstructive techniques under periodic senior review.
proficient
Regulatory compliance oversight — independently verify that all embalming procedures conform to applicable health, sanitation, and legal standards across diverse and complex cases.Advanced cavity embalming — perform thorough trocar work on decomposed, autopsied, or otherwise complex remains, exercising independent clinical judgment.Full circulatory embalming — select injection sites, choose appropriate fluid concentrations, and execute arterial embalming on non-routine cases without oversight.Surgical wound closure — close complex incisions and suture extensive trauma sites to professional standards, applying advanced needle techniques.Comprehensive restorative art — reconstruct facial features and apply multi-layered cosmetics on trauma or disfigurement cases to meet family expectations.Infection-control program adherence — apply OSHA and CDC bloodborne-pathogen protocols rigorously, serving as a technical resource for preparation-room safety.Critical decision-making in atypical cases — evaluate decomposition state, cause of death, and family needs to determine optimal embalming approach independently.Interdisciplinary coordination — liaise with medical examiners, coroners, and healthcare professionals, communicating case findings clearly both orally and in writing.Grief-sensitive family service — provide service-oriented guidance to families on preparation options, demonstrating psychological awareness and professional empathy.Chemical selection and dilution — apply knowledge of embalming chemistry to formulate appropriate fluid mixtures for varied tissue conditions and preservation goals.
advanced
Compliance program leadership — establish and maintain facility-wide policies that ensure full adherence to evolving health, sanitation, and legal embalming requirements.Embalming curriculum development — design and deliver training programs for apprentices and junior embalmers, calibrating instruction to vocational and licensure standards.Quality-assurance framework — implement systematic case-review protocols that evaluate preparation outcomes and drive continuous improvement across the mortuary team.Organizational policy authorship — draft and revise preparation-room operating procedures, safety manuals, and documentation standards using professional writing skills.Mentorship and performance development — coach developing embalmers in advanced restorative and surgical techniques, providing structured feedback in a licensed facility.Strategic vendor and chemical management — evaluate and select embalming chemical suppliers, negotiate contracts, and oversee inventory to support operational excellence.Community and regulatory engagement — represent the funeral home in interactions with licensing boards, health departments, and professional associations on standards matters.Grief-services program oversight — lead the development of family-support protocols that integrate psychological and theological sensitivity into pre- and post-service care.Technology and records systems governance — oversee implementation and staff training for database, spreadsheet, and case-management software across the funeral home.Ethical and philosophical standards leadership — model and institutionalize a culture of integrity, stress tolerance, and dignity in human remains care throughout the organization.
Also known as
32 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Dental Assistant Journeyman, Dental Hygienist (Air Force 4Y051H)Hospital Corpsman (Navy HM)Dental Assistant (Air Force 4Y0X1)Health Services Management (Air Force 4A0X1)Personnel Retrieval and Processing Specialist (Marine Corps 0471)Funeral EmbalmerDental Assistant Craftsman, Dental Hygienist (Air Force 4Y071H)Funeral Services EmbalmerHealth Services Technician (Coast Guard HS)Dental Assistant Apprentice (Air Force 4Y031)Health Services Management Apprentice (Air Force 4A031)Dental Assistant Craftsman (Air Force 4Y071)Restorative Art EmbalmerHealth Services Management Craftsman (Air Force 4A071)Dental Assistant Helper (Air Force 4Y011)Trade EmbalmerHealth Services Management Superintendent (Air Force 4A091)Arterial EmbalmerPersonnel Retrieval and Processing Technician (Marine Corps 0472)Anatomical EmbalmerPersonnel Retrieval and Processing Officer (Marine Corps 0407)Health Services Management Craftsman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A071S)Mortuary Affairs Specialist (Army 92M)Embalmer ApprenticeMortician (Navy 003178)Dental Assistant Journeyman (Air Force 4Y051)Health Services Management Helper (Air Force 4A011)EmbalmerHealth Services Management Journeyman (Air Force 4A051)Medical Administration Specialty (Coast Guard MED)Health Services Management Journeyman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A051S)Licensed Embalmer