US dataswitch to UK
Embalmers
conforming to laws of health and sanitation and ensuring that legal requirements concerning embalming are met, removing the deceased from place of death and transporting to funeral home and attaching trocar to pump-tube. If that's your week, this page is about your job.
The honest answer
AI changes the edges of this job, not the middle: closing incisions, using needles and sutures is work software can't reach.
What shifts is maintaining records: the paper around the work, not the work.
Your week, as this page understands it
Prepare bodies for interment in conformity with legal requirements. The job title says “embalmers”. The real job is the part underneath: closing incisions, using needles and sutures. That is the thing someone has to be right about.
The exposed part of this job is specific, and we won’t pretend it is coming back. But embalmers is not one task. It is 26 scored ones, and they are nowhere near equally exposed. The most durable of them, on this evidence, is closing incisions, using needles and sutures, and the ledger below shows exactly why.
Where the work sits, by task weight
- shifting to AI
- 4%
- changing shape
- 4%
- staying human
- 92%
These bars are tasks changing hands, not people being counted out. The ledger below shows which.
Whole-job exposure score 6 out of 100 (5–11 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, across 26 scored tasks. The number is the support for the sentence above it, not a headline about anyone’s future.
How we know this
What is measured: Every published task statement for embalmers is rated on five dimensions: can a model produce the output, does the work need a body in a room, does it need a legally accountable person, does it depend on a person being trusted in the moment, and how much data exists. A published formula turns those five ratings into the score; the model never writes the number.
How the bar is built: Each task’s share of the bar is its published importance weight, so a task you do all day counts for more than one you do twice a year.
Release: 2026-q4.1, scores computed 2026-08-05. Read the full method.
Your job, task by task
These are the official task statements for this occupation, in plain English, sorted by what the evidence says is happening to each one. The official wording sits under every line so you can check the rewrite against it.
- 4 tasks scored differently between repeat runs, so their range on this page is wider. We would rather show the wobble than hide it.
- 5 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
Shifting to AI
1 taskTasks today’s tools can already do most of. This is the part we will not soften: where these rows are the bulk of your week, the week changes.
Maintaining records
This is reading one thing and writing another: records in, a record out. That is the shape today's tools are built for.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Maintain records, such as itemized lists of clothing or valuables delivered with body and names of persons embalmed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 61 out of 100 (54–68 allowing for uncertainty): high exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Listing belongings and keeping embalming records is straightforward record keeping that software handles, once the items are checked in.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 4/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Changing shape
1 taskTasks where the machine takes the producing and a person keeps the checking, the deciding, or the answering-for-it. For most jobs this is the biggest group, and it is where "transformation, not termination" is literally visible.
Arranging for transporting the deceased to another state for interment
The software now makes the first pass at transporting, but the deciding part still needs a person. So the job becomes checking and deciding rather than producing.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Arrange for transporting the deceased to another state for interment.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 42 out of 100 (35–49 allowing for uncertainty): partial exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: reading one thing and writing another; the same decision, made over and over; mistakes that are cheap to catch.
The rating behind it: Arranging interstate transport is paperwork, permits and booking, which tools organize well, though rules vary by state.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 3/4 · needs a body in a room 1/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Staying human
24 tasksTasks that stay with a person, because they happen in the physical world, because the rules need someone accountable, or because the value is that a specific person does them.
Conforming to laws of health and sanitation and ensuring that legal requirements concerning embalming are met
This work happens in the physical world: laws of health, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: the same decision, made over and over; work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Meeting the legal and sanitation rules is documented knowledge, but compliance happens while a licensed embalmer works on the body.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 3/4.
Closing incisions, using needles and sutures
This work happens in the physical world: incisions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Close incisions, using needles and sutures.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Closing incisions with needle and suture is done by hand on the body.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Cleaning and disinfecting areas in which bodies
This work happens in the physical world: areas, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Clean and disinfect areas in which bodies are prepared and embalmed.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Cleaning and disinfecting the preparation room is physical work in that room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Applying cosmetics to impart lifelike appearance
This work happens in the physical world: cosmetics, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Apply cosmetics to impart lifelike appearance to the deceased.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Applying cosmetics to a face is careful handwork done directly on the deceased.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Incising stomach and abdominal walls and probe internal organs
This work happens in the physical world: stomach, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Incise stomach and abdominal walls and probe internal organs, using trocar, to withdraw blood and waste matter from organs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Making incisions and using a trocar on internal organs is invasive physical work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Removing the deceased from place of death and transporting to funeral home
This work happens in the physical world: this work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Collecting the deceased and driving them to the funeral home is physical work away from any desk.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Dressing bodies and placing them in caskets
This work happens in the physical world: bodies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Dress bodies and place them in caskets.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Dressing the deceased and placing them in a casket is careful physical handling.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Join lips, using needles and thread or wire
This work happens in the physical world: lips, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Join lips, using needles and thread or wire.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Closing the mouth with needle and thread is precise manual work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Show the other 16 tasks
Supervising funeral attendants and other funeral home staff
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: funeral attendants, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Supervise funeral attendants and other funeral home staff.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 18 out of 100 (11–25 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Managing funeral home staff depends on being there with them through emotionally heavy days.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Conducting interviews to arrange for the preparation of obituary notices
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: interviews, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Conduct interviews to arrange for the preparation of obituary notices, to assist with the selection of caskets or urns, and to determine the location and time of burials or cremations.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 12 out of 100 (5–19 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Sitting with a bereaved family to choose a casket and set the arrangements depends on trust built in the room.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 2/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Performing the duties of funeral directors
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: the duties of funeral directors, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Perform the duties of funeral directors, including coordinating funeral activities.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 5 out of 100 (0–12 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Coordinating a funeral means being present with the family and staff as the day unfolds.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 2/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 3/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Assisting coroners at death scenes or at autopsies
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: coroners, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · SupplementalSource: “Assist coroners at death scenes or at autopsies, file police reports, and testify at inquests or in court, if employed by a coroner.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 3 out of 100 (0–10 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, medium confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Attending death scenes, assisting at autopsies and giving evidence in court all require being there in person.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 1/4 · needs a body in a room 3/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 1/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Reshaping or reconstructing disfigured or maimed bodies
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: disfigured, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Reshape or reconstruct disfigured or maimed bodies when necessary, using dermasurgery techniques and materials such as clay, cotton, plaster of Paris, and wax.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Rebuilding a damaged face with wax and clay is skilled sculpting done by hand.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Making incisions in arms or thighs and drain blood from circulatory system and replacing it with embalming fluid
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: incisions, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Make incisions in arms or thighs and drain blood from circulatory system and replace it with embalming fluid, using pump.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Draining blood and pumping in embalming fluid is a physical procedure on the body.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Attaching trocar to pump-tube, start pump and repeat probing to force embalming fluid into organs
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: trocar, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Attach trocar to pump-tube, start pump, and repeat probing to force embalming fluid into organs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Connecting the trocar to the pump and working the fluid through is hands on procedure work.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Performing special procedures necessary for remains that are to be transported to other states or overseas
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: this work, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Perform special procedures necessary for remains that are to be transported to other states or overseas, or where death was caused by infectious disease.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Special handling for infectious or overseas cases is a physical procedure with strict manual steps.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 3/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Inserting convex celluloid or cotton between eyeballs and eyelids to prevent slipping and sinking of eyelids
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: convex celluloid, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Insert convex celluloid or cotton between eyeballs and eyelids to prevent slipping and sinking of eyelids.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Placing eye caps under the eyelids is delicate handwork on the deceased.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Washing and drying bodies, using germicidal soap and towels or hot air dryers
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: bodies, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Wash and dry bodies, using germicidal soap and towels or hot air dryers.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Washing and drying the body is direct physical care.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 1/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Packing body orifices with cotton saturated with embalming fluid to prevent escape of gases or waste matter
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: body orifices, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 5 · CoreSource: “Pack body orifices with cotton saturated with embalming fluid to prevent escape of gases or waste matter.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–7 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence, and it moved between repeat runs, so the range is widened.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Packing orifices with treated cotton is direct physical preparation of the body.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Assisting with placing caskets in hearses and organizing cemetery processions
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: placing caskets, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Assist with placing caskets in hearses and organize cemetery processions.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Lifting caskets and organizing a graveside procession is physical work at the cemetery.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Serving as pallbearers, attend visiting rooms and providing other assistance
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: pallbearers, attend visiting rooms and providing other assistance, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Serve as pallbearers, attend visiting rooms, and provide other assistance to the bereaved.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Carrying a casket and sitting with mourners is presence work in the fullest sense.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 4/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Directing casket and floral display placement and arranging guest seating
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: casket, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Direct casket and floral display placement and arrange guest seating.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; the value is that a specific person does it.
The rating behind it: Placing caskets and flowers and seating guests happens in the room as people arrive.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 2/4 · how much data exists 2/4.
Arranging funeral home equipment and performing general maintenance
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: funeral home equipment, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 4 · CoreSource: “Arrange funeral home equipment and perform general maintenance.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world.
The rating behind it: Setting up equipment and doing general upkeep is physical work around the building.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 0/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
Pressing diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs
staying humanThis work happens in the physical world: diaphragm, in a real place. Software cannot follow it there.
importance 3 · SupplementalSource: “Press diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs.” (O*NET task statement)
How this row was scored
Exposure score: 0 out of 100 (0–4 allowing for uncertainty): minimal exposure, high confidence.
Why it sits in this group: work that happens in the physical world; someone qualified has to answer for it.
The rating behind it: Pressing the diaphragm to clear the lungs is a direct physical procedure.
The five ratings: output a model can produce 0/4 · needs a body in a room 4/4 · needs an accountable person 2/4 · needs to be trusted in the moment 0/4 · how much data exists 1/4.
What this job pays, and how many people do it
- Median pay
- $58,780a year, the middle of the range, so half earn more and half earn less.bls-oews, 2025 · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
How we know this
Source: bls-oews
Reference period: May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
Rounding: Shown as published.
- People doing this job
- 3,890in the US, 2025.bls-oews · May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx)
What is deliberately not here: a forecast of how many of these jobs exist in ten years. Where an official projection exists for a market we publish it with its vintage; where it does not, we leave the space empty rather than borrow the other country’s number.
Why this is shifting
The reason is boringly specific. Most of what is shifting here is reading one thing and writing another: records in, a record out. The rows above are exactly that shape: maintaining records and arranging for transporting the deceased to another state for interment. What it cannot do is be answerable: incisions need a named person the rules will accept, and software cannot be that person. Which is why this page talks about your tasks changing, not your job ending.
Your move
Over a pint: what I’d tell you if you were my friend
Start with what does not change: closing incisions, using needles and sutures is the middle of this job, and the evidence on this page says it stays with a person.
So, given all that: 4% of this job's task weight sits in rows the software is already learning, 4% in rows that change shape rather than disappear, and 92% in rows it is nowhere near. That is the position, measured across 26 scored tasks. It is not a forecast about you.
So the thing worth your attention is not the job going away. It is the layer around it. Maintaining records is the part turning into software, and being the person who understands that layer is worth money.
This week: one thing
Ask the one question. Find whoever is bringing new software into your workplace (the manager, the office, whoever runs the system) and ask them what it is meant to do to records, and what it is not meant to touch. Ten minutes, this week, before anyone decides it for you.
- What you end up holding
- a straight answer about what is actually being rolled out, and when
- How long it takes
- ten minutes
If there’s nobody obvious to ask, or you’d rather not ask your manager: Put the same question to your union rep, your shift lead or the person who has been there longest, in person, over a break. Same ten minutes, same answer, and you will usually get a straighter one. Write down what they say. The note is the artifact, and it tells you whether laws of health are in scope or not. Nothing to log into, no license needed.
Over the next 90 days
Get inside the tool rollout rather than waiting for it. Over the next ninety days, ask to be in the group that tests, checks or signs off whatever new system arrives near arranging for transporting the deceased to another state for interment. It is usually an unglamorous seat that nobody fights for, and it is the one that decides how the software is used on your job rather than to it.
Over the next 12 months
On this evidence I would not retrain out of this job, and I will say that plainly rather than hedge it. The task list here is dominated by work that stays with a person. What I would do with a year is get formally recognised for the layer around it (the systems, the compliance, the planning), so you are the one who understands the software instead of the one it is done to. Before you pay for anything, use CareerOneStop - Find local training. It is free, it is the Labor Department's own service, and it is listed below with the rest of the free routes.
The roads out of here, and why I am not sending you down them
I looked at the obvious moves out of this job, and here is what I found.
I checked the 12 nearest US occupations to embalmers (nearest by the work that AI is not taking, not by job title), and none of them survived. The closest was funeral attendants: only about 25% of its durable work is work you already do and it pays 39.3% less. And on the numbers you do not need one. This job scores 6/100 here, with only 4% of the task list in the top band, and “conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements…” is not work that hands over cleanly. None of them beats deepening what you already have.
How that was checked: this job was compared against all 830 US occupations in this release on their official task statements, and the 12 nearest were examined one by one. A move that turns on an industry, an employer or a qualification rather than on the work itself will not show up in a check like that. And this release carries no licence register, so anything you are weighing needs that looked up separately.
3 moves I checked and rejected
These are the obvious-looking jumps. They are here with their reasons rather than quietly dropped, because the ones that fail are worth knowing about. It is one less thing to turn over at night.
Funeral Attendants
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home, and their equivalent is to transport the deceased to the funeral home. Across both published task lists that is about 25% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: It is closer than most, and still not close enough: about 25% of that job's durable work is already yours, against the 35% I want to see before I will call something a route. It is a pay cut, in those words: $35,680 against your $58,780, 39.3% less (OEWS May 2025 (both)). Retraining to earn less is a decision, not advice.
Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home, and their equivalent is to remove deceased remains from place of death. Across both published task lists that is about 16% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 16% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
Funeral Home Managers
Why it looked obvious: It came up as a near neighbour on the work AI is not taking: you already perform the duties of funeral directors, and their equivalent is to sell funeral services, products, or merchandise to clients. Across both published task lists that is about 11% of the durable work in that job.
Why I am not recommending it: You would be starting most of it from nothing: about 11% of the durable work in that job is work you do today, and the rest you would be learning while the bills carried on.
What I’d stop worrying about
A friend tells you what not to spend fear on. This is that list.
The headline number you read somewhere
The big “X% of jobs” figures are about the whole economy, not about you. The number that describes your job is on this page: 4% of its task weight, across 26 scored tasks. Every row behind it is printed above with the source. Check ours; ignore theirs.
The headlines about your trade disappearing
They are usually about the technology, not the timetable. Changes to work like closing incisions, using needles and sutures arrive through rules, insurance and money, slowly and visibly. This page tracks the task evidence and will move when it moves.
Retraining out of a job that is holding up
On this evidence I would not spend money leaving. Spend it on the layer around the job instead: the tools, the paperwork, the planning. That is where the change actually is.
The “obvious” next job everyone suggests
I checked the obvious moves and most of them did not survive. The reasons are printed with the routes above, including the pay and the gate. A move that fails on the numbers is worth knowing about so you can stop turning it over at night.
You are reading the United States figures
The nearest United Kingdom equivalent is Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants. It is a close match rather than an identical one: the two countries draw the boundary of the job in slightly different places.
Switch to the United Kingdom page →close match
Your route through this
Where to go next, and what it costs
Free, and complete
The moves above cost nothing. These are the real services that go with them: public, government-funded, and free at the point of use. Nothing on this page is behind an email address or a payment.
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Find local training
Search what's running near you, from the Labor Department's own database, before anyone sells you a course.
Free to search; individual programs vary, and some are funded
Anywhere in the US:
An American Job Center will sit down with you for free. Find yours by ZIP code.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
CareerOneStop - Licensed occupations finder
Check what your state actually requires before you pay for anything.
Free
Anywhere in the US:
Free
Why there is no community here
Collab365, who build this site, run paid Spaces for a small number of subjects, and none of them is built for this job. We are not going to point you at the nearest one and call it a fit.
So the free services listed on this page are the whole answer, and it is the same answer we would give a friend.
Noted, and thank you. We’ll email you if a Space for embalmers launches. Nothing else.
That did not look like an email address, so nothing was saved. Have another go below.
We could not save that. The fault is ours, not yours, and your address was not stored. Please try again later.
No deadline on any of this. The page will still be here, and the data is refreshed on a published schedule rather than when someone wants a headline.
Questions people ask about this job
- Will AI replace Embalmers?
- Not as a job, but it is already doing parts of the work. Across the 26 official task statements scored for Embalmers (United States, SOC 39-4011), 4% of the importance-weighted core work is made of tasks today's AI could already do most of. The overall exposure score is 6 out of 100 (range 5–11, band: minimal). That is a statement about tasks, not about headcount: this measures what AI could do, not whether any employer adopts it, whether the law allows it, or whether doing the routine parts faster creates more demand for the human parts. Figures are from release 2026-q4.1.
- Which tasks in “Embalmers” can AI already do?
- The highest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Maintain records, such as itemized lists of clothing or valuables delivered with body and names of persons embalmed” (61/100, high); “Arrange for transporting the deceased to another state for interment” (42/100, partial); “Conform to laws of health and sanitation and ensure that legal requirements concerning embalming are met” (18/100, minimal). Each score comes from five published 0–4 ratings turned into a number by a published formula, and each carries the model's one-sentence reason on the page.
- Which tasks in “Embalmers” stay human?
- About 92% of this job's task weight sits in work that scores low for AI exposure. The lowest-scoring tasks in release 2026-q4.1 are: “Clean and disinfect areas in which bodies are prepared and embalmed” (0/100, minimal); “Remove the deceased from place of death and transport to funeral home” (0/100, minimal); “Press diaphragm to evacuate air from lungs” (0/100, minimal). Low scores usually mean the task needs a body in a room, a legally accountable human, or trust built in real time. Those are the three things the scoring rubric treats as gates rather than obstacles.
- What should someone working in “Embalmers” do about AI?
- Start from the ledger rather than the headline: 4% of this job's weighted core work is exposed, and roughly 92% is not. The practical move is to spend more of your week on the tasks that score low, the ones above, and to get fluent at directing AI through the tasks that score high, because those are the parts that change whether or not you are ready for them. This page does not predict your job, and nothing here is career advice tailored to you: the score describes the occupation, not the person.
- How is the AI exposure score for Embalmers calculated?
- Each official task statement for the occupation is rated on five published 0–4 dimensions (output replicability, physical embodiment, licensed accountability, real-time human trust, and data availability) by claude-opus-5 using scoring prompt task_scoring_v1.0. The model never writes the score; a published formula turns the five ratings into a 0–100 number, so every score can be recomputed by hand. The occupation figure is the importance-weighted mean across 26 scored tasks. The prompt, the rubric, the formula and the full dataset are published at https://futureproof.collab365.com/method and https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1 under CC BY 4.0.
Where these numbers come from
Worth knowing about these figures
- 4 tasks scored differently between repeat runs, so their range on this page is wider. We would rather show the wobble than hide it.
- 5 of this occupation's scored task statements carry a score that was measured under a different occupation's context, because the statement is shared between jobs and has only been scored once so far. Each one names the occupation it was measured under in the free routes below; none is presented as a measurement for this job.
- Task clusters are not derived in this release, so the task-cluster field is empty and no Collab365 Space routing is attached to this occupation yet.
- Task statements
- onet-dbProcessing: catalogue-bridge → onet-im-rt-weighting → task-scoring → score-aggregation
- Task weights
- onet-db (im-rt)
- Scores
- Rubric task_scoring_v1.0, model claude-opus-5, computed 2026-08-05.
- Pay and employment
- bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))bls-oews (May 2025 estimates (national_M2025_dl.xlsx))
Figures on this page come from release 2026-q4.1, published 2026-08-05. Every release keeps its own permanent address, so a figure you cite in March is still there, unchanged, in November.
The plain-English wording on this page is assembled directly from the task statements and the published ratings, not written by hand for this occupation. That is why it is specific, and it is also why we say so.
The routes and free resources further up are today’s, not the release’s (last reviewed 2026-08-05). A route is an offer, not a historical fact, so it moves on its own clock.
Using these figures?
Cite this
Everything on this site is published under CC BY 4.0. Quote it, chart it, sell something built on it. Just say where it came from, and cite the dated release rather than the site, so the figure you quote stays checkable.
Plain text
Collab365 (2026). Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1 (methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0). https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Built with O*NET data (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); ONS data (Open Government Licence v3.0); GAISI task framework (arXiv:2507.22748, MIT); BLS data (public domain).
BibTeX
@misc{collab365futureproof2026q41,
title = {Collab365 Futureproof: task-level AI exposure for US and UK occupations, release 2026-q4.1},
author = {{Collab365}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://futureproof.collab365.com/data/2026-q4.1},
note = {Release 2026-q4.1, methodVersion 2.0.0, promptVersion task_scoring_v1.0, CC BY 4.0}
}Data as of release 2026-q4.1, published . Releases never change after publication; when the figures move, a new dated release is published beside this one and this one stays exactly where it is.