How to become an Embalmer
Also called: Anatomical embalmer, Arterial embalmer, Assistant embalmer, Mortician, Mortician assistant, Mortuary assistant, Anatomical embalmer, Assistant embalmer, Mortician, Mortician assistant
Embalmer prepares the bodies of deceased persons for burials and cremations. He/she cleans and disinfects the bodies, uses makeup to create an impression of a more natural appearance and hide any visible damage. He/she also liaises with funeral services directors to comply with the wishes of the deceased family members.
Main tasks
- Embalming human bodies to retard or arrest the process of decay
- Conforming to health and sanitation and ensuring that legal requirements concerning embalming are met
- Incising and closing incisions on various parts of the body and reshaping or reconstructing disfigured or maimed bodies when necessary
- Dressing bodies and placing them in caskets
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
Will AI change the work of an Embalmer?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026