According to the State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers, there are currently about 3,500 licensed Embalmers in California. Turnover is low, with openings occurring occasionally. Some mortuaries report a less than adequate supply of qualified applicants to fill available openings. Officials in the industry feel that a labor pool crisis could occur in the near future because too few potential applicants are in training to serve a growing and aging population. Demand is expected to increase during the next few years as the population ages and the large number of Embalmers who entered the field following the Second World War reach retirement age.
Many mortuaries provide room and board for apprentices and pay a lesser salary.
Some employers offer commission pay in addition to base salaries. In most establishments the hours of work vary. Generally, Embalmers work an eight-hour day, five or six days a week. Days of long work hours may alternate with idle days when employees are on call. Smaller mortuaries may have Embalmers or apprentices living on the premises.