Career comparison
Embalmer vs. Medical Laboratory Technician
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Medical laboratory technicians earn more at the median ($62,930 vs. $58,780), while medical laboratory technicians usually get to work faster (2 years (technician) or 4 years (technologist) of training). Embalmers prepare the deceased for viewing with skill, care and dignity. Medical laboratory technicians run the lab tests doctors use to diagnose and treat patients.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Embalmer | Medical Laboratory Technician | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $58,780 ($28.26/hr) | $62,930 ($30.26/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $38,310 – $77,570 | $38,910 – $100,990 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +0.7% (little or no change) | +2.7% (about as fast as average) |
| Openings per year | 700 | 20,800 |
| Typical entry education | Associate's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 2–3 years including apprenticeship | 2 years (technician) or 4 years (technologist) |
| Key credential | State embalmer license | ASCP Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) |
| Work setting | Embalmers work in funeral home preparation rooms with chemicals, requiring PPE and ventilation.. | Technicians work in hospital labs, reference labs, clinics and blood banks, handling biological samples with safety precautions.. |
What each job does
Embalmer
- Prepare bodies for embalming
- Perform arterial and cavity embalming
- Perform restorative art
- Dress and cosmetize the deceased
- Maintain the preparation room
Medical Laboratory Technician
- Process patient samples
- Run tests on automated analyzers
- Perform manual tests and microscopy
- Run quality control
- Check and report results
How they’re similar
Both careers involve hands-on work, indoor work, high responsibility, and steady routines. They sit in different fields, beauty, fitness & personal care and science, engineering & lab, but share transferable skills such as respect and dignity and attention to detail.
Which should you choose?
Choose embalmer if…
- I can handle this work calmly
- I’m detail-oriented
- I want to help grieving families
Choose medical laboratory technician if…
- I love science
- I’m precise and careful
- I want health care without direct patient care
Still torn? Take the Embalmer fit quiz and the Medical Laboratory Technician fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, embalmer or medical laboratory technician?
Medical Laboratory Technicians earn more at the median: $62,930 versus $58,780 for embalmers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Medical Laboratory Technicians typically train faster (2 years (technician) or 4 years (technologist)) than embalmers (2–3 years including apprenticeship).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects medical laboratory technicians to grow +2.7% from 2025–35, compared with +0.7% for embalmers.