| 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 $37,840 in 2006. |
|
