Embalmer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for an embalmer is $65,000 per annum, before tax, up $13,500 since 2018.
Pay depends more on the employer than on the qualification: private funeral companies, hospital mortuaries and public sector facilities each set their own rates, and the large funeral groups generally pay more than small family firms. Experience lifts it further, particularly for people who take on after-hours and on-call work or handle complex reconstruction cases. Casual and relief positions are common in this field, so it is worth asking whether a role is permanent and how often you would be rostered on call.
Roles that pay more than embalmer
The largest typical pay rise is $5,700 a year, moving into Mortuary Technician.
- Mortuary Technician+$5,700/yr
- Funeral Director+$3,600/yr
How to negotiate a higher embalmer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time embalmer salary is $65,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Infection control and hygiene and Regulatory compliance tend to command a premium over general embalmer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Mortuary Technician pays a typical $5,700 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Embalmer salary questions
How much do embalmers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for an embalmer is $65,000 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is embalmer pay rising or falling?
The median embalmer salary is up $13,500 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than embalmer?
Mortuary Technician pays a typical $5,700 a year more and draws on similar skills to embalmer.