How much should I pay a embalmers in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Embalmers is $58,781 to $66,144 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows retail trade wages growing about 3.4% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a embalmers?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $48,006 is below market, $58,781 to $66,144 is competitive, and above $66,144 is above market for Embalmers.

How is embalmers pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 4.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI). Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Embalmers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 39-4011 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$58,781

$28.26/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Embalmers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$38K

P25$48K

P50$59K

P75$66K

P90$78K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- retail openings are at 4.8% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in retail trade are rising about 3.4% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 3.0-3.5% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $58,781 to $66,144 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Embalmers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 4.4% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, outpacing the 3.4% wage growth of Retail Trade (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Retail Trade is running a 4.8% job-openings rate with quits at 3.0% (BLS JOLTS). Demand has tightened for 2 straight months (4.2% up to 4.8%).

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 2.0 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings climbed to 4.8% and quits returned to 3.0%. Frontline churn pressure is building again.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.4% per year, up from 3.1%, one of the few sectors accelerating.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Embalmers is $58,781 per year ($28.26/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $48,006 and $66,144 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $77,563 per year. There are approximately 3,890 embalmers employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

+1.3%

About as fast as average

Annual openings

600

per year, on avg

Workforce today

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Associate's degree

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Long-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Death Care Services NAICS 812200	4K	$58,870
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools NAICS 611300	40	$52,500

Wage range across top 5 industries: $52,500 to $58,870 (12% spread)

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$18.42	$38,314
P25	$23.08	$48,006
P50MEDIAN	$28.26	$58,781
P75	$31.80	$66,144
P90	$37.29	$77,563

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · retail sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.8%

Quits Rate

3.0%

Retail openings rose to 774K (+49K) in June, rate up to 4.8%. Frontline turnover picked back up with the quit rate at 3.0% -- expect continued churn-driven wage pressure in hourly roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average embalmers salary?

The national median salary for Embalmers is $58,781 per year ($28.26/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $48,006 and $66,144 annually.

How much do top-earning embalmers make?

The 90th percentile salary for Embalmers is $77,563 per year ($37.29/hr). The 75th percentile is $66,144 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for embalmers?

Entry-level Embalmers (10th percentile) earn approximately $38,314 per year ($18.42/hr). The 25th percentile is $48,006 per year.

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Embalmers Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

Texas680 workers California520 workers Florida300 workers Kentucky280 workers Tennessee180 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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