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Social Services

Embalmers

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

Median salary (BLS)

$58,780

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$38k – $78k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $87,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Embalmers

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Associate degree

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$8,200–$23,000

Time to qualify

3 yr

Renewal

$75/yr

  1. 1

    Associate degree (community college)

    Degree

    Two years at in-district rates — average published tuition & fees ≈ $4,050/yr, plus ~$1,200/yr books & supplies.

    $8,000–$22,000 · 2 years source

  2. 2

    State license — supervised hours + exam

    License

    Most counseling and social-work roles (LCSW/LPC pattern) require supervised experience hours and a state exam.

    $200–$1,000 · 12 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Embalmers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Embalmers

    Entry / Junior

    $38,310

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Embalmers

    Established

    $58,780

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Embalmers

    Senior

    $68,175

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.