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Embalmers

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

How does this connect to your interests? →

A look at the work

  • Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.
  • Apply cosmetics to impart lifelike appearance to the deceased.
  • Join lips, using needles and thread or wire.
  • Close incisions, using needles and sutures.
  • Incise stomach and abdominal walls and probe internal organs, using trocar, to withdraw blood and waste matter from organs.
  • Clean and disinfect areas in which bodies are prepared and embalmed.
  • Dress bodies and place them in caskets.
  • Make incisions in arms or thighs and drain blood from circulatory system and replace it with embalming fluid, using pump.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

5.8 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.6 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.6 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.4 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

2.7 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

3.9 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2021-08

3.9 / 5

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2021-08

3.8 / 5

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

2021-08

3.1 / 5

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

2021-08

3.1 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2021-08

3.1 / 5

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

2021-08

3.1 / 5

Service Orientation

Actively looking for ways to help people.

2021-08

3.1 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2021-08

3.0 / 5

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

2021-08

3.0 / 5

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

2021-08

3.0 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 3 of 5 · 2021-08. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Related study fields

Source crosswalk connections are research leads, not required qualifications.

Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, General →

Mortuary Science and Embalming/Embalmer →

Explore all related study fields →

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 39-4011.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.