Activities	Prepare bodies for burial according to certain procedures and legal requirements.
Outlook	Slower-than-average job growth
Median Income	$43,800 per year in 2011
Work Context & Conditions	Often work long, irregular hours, mostly indoors, as they provide their services to others. Many work on an on-call basis, because they may be needed to remove remains in the middle of the night.
Minimum Education Requirements	General High School Program
Skills	Monitoring, Time Management, Equipment Maintenance
Abilities	Finger Dexterity, Manual Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness

Job Category		Personal Care & Service
Job Description		Prepare bodies for burial according to certain procedures and legal requirements. Some of the more specific tasks you'd do are pack body orifices with cotton saturated with embalming fluid to prevent the escape of gases or waste matter; make an incision in the arm or thigh and drain blood from the circulatory system, replacing it with embalming fluid; and incise stomach and abdominal walls and probe internal organs, using a sharp, pointed surgical instrument called a trocar to withdraw blood and waste matter from organs.
Working Conditions		Embalmers often work long, irregular hours, mostly indoors, as they provide their services to others. Many work on an on-call basis, because they may be needed to remove remains in the middle of the night. In smaller funeral homes, working hours vary, but in larger ones, employees usually work 8 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. Embalmers occasionally come into contact with the remains of people who had contagious diseases. The possibility of infection is remote, though, if strict health regulations -- including common protective attire -- are followed. They use their hands a great deal in their work, to handle, control, and feel objects, tools, and controls.
Salary Range		Median annual earnings for embalmers were $38,100 in 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $28,500 and $49,100. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $20,400 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $60,300.

Education Required		Embalmers must be licensed in all States. College programs in mortuary science usually last from 2 to 4 years; the American Board of Funeral Service Education accredits 57 mortuary science programs. Two-year programs are offered by a small number of community and junior colleges, and a few colleges and universities offer both 2- and 4-year programs. Mortuary science programs include courses in anatomy, physiology, pathology, embalming techniques, restorative art, business management, accounting ethics, grief counseling, funeral service, and business law. Apprenticeships must be completed under an experienced and licensed funeral director or embalmer. Depending on State regulations, apprenticeships last from 1 to 3 years and may be served before, during, or after mortuary school. Apprenticeships provide practical experience in all facets of the funeral service from embalming to transporting remains. High school students can start preparing for a career as a funeral director by taking courses in biology and chemistry and participating in public speaking or debate clubs. Part-time or summer jobs in funeral homes consist mostly of maintenance and cleanup tasks, such as washing and polishing limousines and hearses, but these tasks can help students become familiar with the operation of funeral homes. Advancement opportunities are best in larger funeral homes -- funeral directors may earn promotions to higher paying positions such as branch manager or general manager. Some directors eventually acquire enough money and experience to establish their own funeral home businesses.
Recommended High School Courses		Biology, Chemistry
Postsecondary Instructional Programs		Chemistry, Biology, Customer and Personal Service
Certification and Licensing		The Funeral Service Educational Foundation and many State associations offer continuing education programs designed for licensed funeral directors. These programs address issues in communications, counseling, and management. According to The American Society of Embalmers, each individual state regulates the practice of mortuary science.  They determine the educational requirements prior to entering mortuary school as well as the requirements to become licensed. You will need to check with the individual state that you intend to practice in to determine what the requirements are. For further information about this requirement visit this website: http://www.amsocembalmers.org/html/careers.html According to the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards (CFSEB) administers a national examination (and in some cases also administers state board examinations) at the conclusion of the mortuary school program. For further information about national examinations, visit this website: www.cfseb.org. State board licensing examinations vary, but they usually consist of written and oral parts and include a demonstration of practical skills. Persons who want to work in another State may have to pass the examination for that State; however, some States have reciprocity arrangements and will grant licenses to funeral directors from another State without further examination.

Interest Area		Realistic Involves working on practical, hands-on problems and solutions, often with real-world materials, tools, and machinery.
Work Values		Moral Values Never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong. Independence Work alone. Security Have steady employment.
Skills		Monitoring Assess how well someone is doing when learning or doing something. Time Management Manage one's own time and the time of others. Equipment Maintenance Perform routine maintenance and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Abilities		Finger Dexterity Able to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. Manual Dexterity Able to make quick, coordinated movements of one or two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. Arm-Hand Steadiness Able to keep the hand and arm steady while making an arm movement or while holding the arm and hand in one position.

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Job Outlook		Employment is expected to grow slower than the average for all occupations through 2020. Not only is the population expanding, but also the proportion of people over the age of 55 is projected to grow during the coming decade. Consequently, the number of deaths is expected to increase, spurring demand for funeral services. Embalmers held 8,500 jobs in 2008. The need to replace funeral directors and morticians who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons will account for even more job openings than employment growth. Typically, a number of mortuary science graduates leave the profession shortly after becoming licensed funeral directors to pursue other career interests, and this trend is expected to continue. Although employment opportunities for funeral directors are expected to be good, mortuary-science graduates may have to relocate to find jobs in funeral service.
More Information		National Funeral Directors Association, American Board of Funeral Service Education
References		Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Funeral Directors, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/funeral-directors.htm. O*NET OnLine, on the Internet at http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-4011.00