BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasEmbalmers

O*NET · 39-4011.00

Embalmers

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

Also called Anatomical Embalmer · Arterial Embalmer · Embalmer · Funeral Embalmer · Funeral Services Embalmer · Licensed Embalmer · Restorative Art Embalmer · Trade Embalmer
Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code RCS35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RCSRealistic · Conventional · Social — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic5.84
  • C Conventional3.85
  • S Social3.40
  • E Enterprising2.65
  • I Investigative2.57
  • A Artistic1.61

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree86%
  • Bachelor's Degree14%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (53%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (27%)
On-the-job training
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (36%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Speakingbasic3.93.8Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Active Listeningbasic3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Social Perceptiveness3.13.9Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Time Management3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Service Orientation3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Writingbasic3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Write down a guest's order at a restaurant
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Monitoringbasic3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Active Learningbasic3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Think about the implications of a news article for job opportunities
  • Coordination3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Decide how scheduling a break will affect work flow
Show the other 23
  • Complex Problem Solving2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Lay out tools to complete a job
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Operations Monitoring2.82.1Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Instructing2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Sciencebasic2.62.3Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Negotiation2.42.6Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Persuasion2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Quality Control Analysis2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.12.8Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Operation and Control2.12.3Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Systems Analysis2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Systems Evaluation2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Mathematicsbasic2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Count the amount of change to be given to a customer
  • Operations Analysis2.01.9Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Troubleshooting2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Management of Material Resources2.01.3Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Management of Financial Resources2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Technology Design1.91.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Equipment Selection1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Equipment Maintenance1.51.0Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Repairing1.51.0Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Programming1.3—
  • Installation1.0—

Tasks

24 core · 2 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.4.9
  2. Apply cosmetics to impart lifelike appearance to the deceased.4.7
  3. Incise stomach and abdominal walls and probe internal organs, using trocar, to withdraw blood and waste matter from organs.4.7
  4. Close incisions, using needles and sutures.4.7
  5. Dress bodies and place them in caskets.4.7
  6. Join lips, using needles and thread or wire.4.7
  7. Clean and disinfect areas in which bodies are prepared and embalmed.4.7
  8. Make incisions in arms or thighs and drain blood from circulatory system and replace it with embalming fluid, using pump.4.6
  9. Perform the duties of funeral directors, including coordinating funeral activities.4.6
  10. Remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home.4.6
  11. Reshape or reconstruct disfigured or maimed bodies when necessary, using dermasurgery techniques and materials such as clay, cotton, plaster of Paris, and wax.4.5
  12. 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.4.5
Show the other 14
  1. Attach trocar to pump-tube, start pump, and repeat probing to force embalming fluid into organs.4.5
  2. Insert convex celluloid or cotton between eyeballs and eyelids to prevent slipping and sinking of eyelids.4.5
  3. Pack body orifices with cotton saturated with embalming fluid to prevent escape of gases or waste matter.4.5
  4. Maintain records, such as itemized lists of clothing or valuables delivered with body and names of persons embalmed.4.4
  5. Assist with placing caskets in hearses and organize cemetery processions.4.4
  6. Wash and dry bodies, using germicidal soap and towels or hot air dryers.4.3
  7. Arrange for transporting the deceased to another state for interment.4.3
  8. Perform special procedures necessary for remains that are to be transported to other states or overseas, or where death was caused by infectious disease.4.2
  9. Supervise funeral attendants and other funeral home staff.4.2
  10. Serve as pallbearers, attend visiting rooms, and provide other assistance to the bereaved.4.2
  11. Direct casket and floral display placement and arrange guest seating.4.1
  12. Arrange funeral home equipment and perform general maintenance.4.0
  13. Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.3.6
  14. Press diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs.2.9

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Customer and Personal Service4.74.6Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Chemistry3.64.8Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Psychology3.64.1Level 4 looks like: Understand the impact of alcohol on human responses
  • English Language3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Law and Government3.43.2Level 4 looks like: Prepare documents and title papers for the purchase of a new house
  • Administration and Management3.23.6Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Administrative3.23.9Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Biology3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Investigate the effects of pollution on marine plants and animals
Show all 33
  • Philosophy and Theology3.14.2Level 4 looks like: Understand another culture's religious practices
  • Education and Training3.03.7Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Therapy and Counseling3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Provide job counseling to the unemployed
  • Computers and Electronics2.93.9Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Medicine and Dentistry2.82.8
  • Public Safety and Security2.83.0Level 4 looks like: Inspect a building site for safety violations
  • Sociology and Anthropology2.62.8
  • Mathematics2.52.8
  • Transportation2.42.7
  • Communications and Media2.32.5Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Economics and Accounting2.21.2Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Telecommunications2.21.6Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Production and Processing2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Sales and Marketing2.11.6Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Engineering and Technology2.01.4Level 1 looks like: Install a door lock
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Physics1.81.4Level 1 looks like: Use a crowbar to pry open a box
  • Foreign Language1.71.2Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Mechanical1.71.6Level 1 looks like: Replace the filters in a furnace
  • Geography1.61.4Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Building and Construction1.40.8Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Design1.30.7Level 1 looks like: Draw a straight line 4 3/16 inches long
  • Fine Arts1.2—
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Food Production1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Near Vision4.04.0Level 5 looks like: Read the fine print of a legal document
  • Oral Comprehension3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Problem Sensitivity3.63.3Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.44.0Level 4 looks like: Thread a needle
  • Oral Expression3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
  • Speech Recognition3.43.3Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Deductive Reasoning3.33.1Level 2 looks like: Know that a stalled car can coast downhill
  • Information Ordering3.33.3Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
Show all 52
  • Speech Clarity3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Inductive Reasoning3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Decide what to wear based on the weather report
  • Manual Dexterity3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Pack oranges in crates as quickly as possible
  • Visualization3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Control Precision3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust a room light with a dimmer switch
  • Finger Dexterity3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Trunk Strength3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Visual Color Discrimination3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Trace electrical circuits marked by various colored wires
  • Written Comprehension3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Written Expression3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Far Vision2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Multilimb Coordination2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Selective Attention2.92.3Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Static Strength2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Pull a 40-pound sack of fertilizer across the lawn
  • Category Flexibility2.82.8Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Flexibility of Closure2.82.8Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Fluency of Ideas2.82.9Level 2 looks like: Name four different uses for a screwdriver
  • Depth Perception2.52.0Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Originality2.42.8Level 2 looks like: Use a credit card to open a locked door
  • Perceptual Speed2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Time Sharing2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Extent Flexibility2.32.0Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Auditory Attention2.11.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.11.5Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Glare Sensitivity2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Gross Body Equilibrium2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Mathematical Reasoning2.01.5Level 1 looks like: Determine how much 20 oranges will cost when they are priced at 5 for 4 dollars
  • Memorization2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Night Vision2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Number Facility2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Add 2 and 7
  • Peripheral Vision2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Rate Control2.01.1Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Reaction Time2.01.3Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Response Orientation2.01.3Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Sound Localization2.01.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Spatial Orientation2.01.5Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Speed of Closure2.01.4
  • Stamina2.01.9Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Dynamic Strength1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.60.8
  • Explosive Strength1.50.6
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Assisting and Caring for Others4.65.7
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.44.2Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Handling and Moving Objects4.36.3Level 7 looks like: Load boxes on an assembly line
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.34.8Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Getting Information4.23.4Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.04.7Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Processing Information4.04.8Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.04.5Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
Show all 41
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.94.9Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public3.94.3Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.84.8Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.85.0Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.74.1Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.73.9Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment3.62.9
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Working with Computers3.42.6
  • Controlling Machines and Processes3.33.2Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Thinking Creatively3.34.1Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Performing Administrative Activities3.22.9
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.13.6Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others2.82.3Level 1 looks like: Interpret a blood pressure reading
  • Training and Teaching Others2.82.9
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.72.8
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.52.7
  • Developing and Building Teams2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Encourage two coworkers to stick with a tough assignment
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.22.7
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.11.8Level 1 looks like: Work occasionally as a backup supervisor
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that requires little advising of others
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment2.12.3Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Staffing Organizational Units1.71.0Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Use display settings to adjust a television picture

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams5.0
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.9
  • Telephone Conversations4.9
  • E-Mail4.7
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.7
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.7
  • Time Pressure4.7
  • Contact With Others4.6
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.6
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.6

Technology

10 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (3)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word
Other tools (7)
  • Belmar & Associates Mortware
  • Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
  • Custom Data Systems Sterling Management Software
  • FPA Software MACCS
  • HMIS Advantage
  • Twin Tier Technologies MIMS
  • Web browser software

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
  2. Funeral Attendants
  3. Funeral Home Managers
  4. Crematory Operators
  5. Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
  6. Surgical Technologists
  7. Surgical Assistants
  8. Coroners
  9. Nursing Assistants
  10. Phlebotomists

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.