The Complete Guide to Becoming An Embalmer
The real pay, the real path, and the real day-to-day of the mortuary science profession — so you can decide with your eyes open.
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
Real talk about embalming: the pay, the training, the smell, the schedule, and whether you can actually handle it.
About this book
You've seen the movies. You've heard the jokes. But what is it actually like to be an embalmer — Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 (or more often, 2 to 9)? This guide takes you inside the prep room, the funeral home, and the business side of death care. You'll learn the difference between an embalmer and a funeral director, the typical trajectory from student to licensed professional, and what your first year really looks like, including the mistakes everyone makes and the hours that will test you.
Reader Reviews
Betty Martin
★★★★★I'm 17 and trying to decide between nursing and mortuary science. This book gave me the actual facts — like what a 10-hour shift really looks like, and the fact that I'd need around 2 years of school and an apprenticeship. The chapter on pay was worth the price alone. I feel like I can actually make a list of pros and cons now instead of just guessing. My mom read it too and she's less freaked out about my choice.
Kenneth Thompson
★★★★★I've been a firefighter for 12 years and I'm looking for a change. This guide is the first thing that made embalming seem real and not mysterious. I appreciated the straight talk about the physical toll — the standing, the lifting, the masks — and the section on how to get hired with no experience. The salary table by region was exactly what I needed to talk to my wife about the move. Solid, practical, no fluff.
James White
★★★★★Good guide overall. I liked the day-in-the-life chapter — it made the job feel tangible, and the honest bit about on-call hours was important to hear. I docked one star because the chapter on education felt a little rushed; I would have liked more specific examples of what to look for in a mortuary school vs. a general biology degree. But the checklist in chapter two did help me realize I might not have the stomach for it, which saved me a lot of money.
Barbara Miller
★★★★★This covers the basics well, but it reads a bit too much like a brochure at times. The author clearly wants you to take the job seriously, which is fair, but I wanted more about the emotional strain on relationships and family. The salary numbers are real, so that was helpful. If you know absolutely nothing about the industry, this is a decent starting point, but don't expect it to tell you everything about what it's like to handle your first body alone.