Funeral director vs embalmer

The differences between funeral directors and embalmers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a funeral director and an embalmer. Additionally, an embalmer has an average salary of $44,575, which is higher than the $39,048 average annual salary of a funeral director.

The top three skills for a funeral director include client families, veterans and compassion. The most important skills for an embalmer are SCI, OSHA, and memorial services.

Funeral director vs embalmer overview

	Funeral Director	Embalmer
Yearly salary	$39,048	$44,575
Hourly rate	$18.77	$21.43
Growth rate	8%	-
Number of jobs	5,746	814
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 68%
Average age	49	51
Years of experience	2	2

What does a funeral director do?

A funeral director organizes and oversees funeral services, aiming to provide optimal service and support to grieving families. They typically meet with families to identify their needs and help them plan services, arrange transportation for the deceased, prepare and process the body for the service, and assist families every step of the way. They are also responsible for processing documents, liaising with vendors and suppliers, writing obituaries, and resolving conflicts or issues should any arise. Moreover, a funeral director must lead and delegate tasks among staff, monitoring the progress of all operations regularly.

What does an embalmer do?

An embalmer's job is to preserve human remains by treating them to avoid or slow down decomposition to make the corpse suitable for public or private viewing as part of the funeral service. They also preserve a body for educational and medical purposes. An embalmer must ensure that they are working in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) policies. This is important when it comes to inventory control of hazardous or dangerous chemicals and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) regulations.

Funeral director vs embalmer salary

Funeral directors and embalmers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Funeral Director	Embalmer
Average salary	$39,048	$44,575
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $51,000	Between $26,000 And $74,000
Highest paying City	Belmont, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Precoa	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between funeral director and embalmer education

There are a few differences between a funeral director and an embalmer in terms of educational background:

	Funeral Director	Embalmer
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 48%	Associate Degree, 68%
Most common major	Mortuary Science	Mortuary Science
Most common college	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities	University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Funeral director vs embalmer demographics

Here are the differences between funeral directors' and embalmers' demographics:

	Funeral Director	Embalmer
Average age	49	51
Gender ratio	Male, 64.7% Female, 35.3%	Male, 60.2% Female, 39.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 2.6% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 1.8% White, 77.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 3.6% White, 74.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	9%	10%

Differences between funeral director and embalmer duties and responsibilities

Funeral director example responsibilities.

Manage subordinates, facilities and MSDS files.
Greet them with empathy and compassion, conveying to family members that their every need will be meet.
Escort families to proper burial locations to include; scheduling with appropriate service component regarding ceremonies that are bestow to veterans.
Provide financial oversight, including budget development, expense management, and financial analysis.
Certify crematory operator; participate on removals; and assist on calling hours and funerals.
Specialize in Asian, Hindu, Buddist, Muslim, etc.

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Embalmer example responsibilities.

Review all accounts payable imports prepare by license coordinators.
Direct maintenance of 60K database, overseeing development, design changes and compliance.
Comply with OSHA standards to embalm human remains for funeral homes throughout the greater Los Angeles area.
Secure NRC acceptance of shutdown plan for meeting requirements to maintain the option of a nuclear facility completion.
Secure timely NRC acceptance of site stabilization plan and subsequent termination of the construction permit and nuclear licenses.
Participate in meetings with DCF to update the licensing statutes and work on establishing normalcy for children in care.

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Funeral director vs embalmer skills

Common funeral director skills

Client Families, 23%
Veterans, 21%
Compassion, 19%
Funeral Homes, 16%
SCI, 14%
Removals, 4%

Common embalmer skills

SCI, 82%
OSHA, 13%
Memorial Services, 2%
Death Certificates, 2%
Prep Room, 1%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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