Personal care and service
Crematory operator
Operate crematory equipment to reduce human or animal remains to bone fragments in accordance with state and local regulations. Duties may include preparing the body for cremation and performing general maintenance on crematory equipment. May use traditional flame-based cremation, calcination, or alkaline hydrolysis.
Median pay
$43,650
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
500
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Crematory operator
$43,65010% earn under $33,270 · middle half $37,020–$50,380 · top 10% over $62,460
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Crematory operator
Dealing with the public
RarelyConstantly
Time pressure
RarelyConstantly
Freedom to make decisions
LittleA lot
Core tasks
Outlook and AI
Crematory operators held 3,000 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 3,100 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Crematory operator vs. Funeral home manager
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- Crematory operator vs. Maintenance workers, machinery