Career
Crematory operators
Carry out cremations and handle the remains of people who have died with care and dignity.
$43,650
Median pay
+3.1%
Job growth, 2025–35
500
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Mortuary Science and Embalming/EmbalmerCIP 12.0303
- Funeral Service and Mortuary Science, OtherCIP 12.0399
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Funeral Attendants$35,680 · +2.6%
- Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers$55,010 · +3.0%
- Funeral Home Managers$78,790 · +4.1%
- Embalmers$58,780 · +0.7%
- Recycling and Reclamation Workers
Ask anything about this career.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.