Prepare and preserve bodies for viewing and burial, treating and restoring the deceased with care.
Funeral homes and mortuaries
Full-time, some on-call
May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
Associate degree
Training path: Associate degree plus license.
A state embalmer license is required after schooling and an apprenticeship.
Exacting, respectful work behind the funeral home — a licensed trade that can widen into funeral directing.
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Standard Occupational Classification 39-4011. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.