Embalmers vs Surgical Assistants
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Embalmers and Surgical Assistants on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Embalmers | Surgical Assistants |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $56,280 | $60,290 |
| Employment | 3,420 | 22,860 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+1.3%) | About average (+5.1%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 600 | 1,600 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 4th pct | Low · 2nd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 21st pct · 17% of tasks | — |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | — |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Customer and Personal Service, Near Vision, Speaking, Active Listening, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, English Language, Oral Expression, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Speech Recognition, Deductive Reasoning, Information Ordering, Speech Clarity, Biology, Writing, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Inductive Reasoning, Manual Dexterity, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Finger Dexterity, Control Precision, Visual Color Discrimination, Education and Training.
Specific to Embalmers
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Time Management
- Visualization
- Philosophy and Theology
Specific to Surgical Assistants
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Selective Attention
- Perceptual Speed
- Multilimb Coordination
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operations Monitoring
- Flexibility of Closure
- Hearing Sensitivity
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software .
Specific to Embalmers
Specific to Surgical Assistants
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Embalmers or Surgical Assistants — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Embalmers vs Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers
- Embalmers vs Funeral Attendants
- Embalmers vs Funeral Home Managers
- Embalmers vs Crematory Operators
- Embalmers vs Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
- Embalmers vs Surgical Technologists
- Embalmers vs Coroners
- Embalmers vs Nursing Assistants
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Embalmers vs Surgical Assistants." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/embalmers-vs-surgical-assistants
Singulariki. (2026). Embalmers vs Surgical Assistants. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/embalmers-vs-surgical-assistants
@misc{singulariki-embalmers-vs-surgical-assistants,
title = {Embalmers vs Surgical Assistants},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/embalmers-vs-surgical-assistants}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.