Crematory Operators — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
Opens your browser print dialog — choose “Save as PDF”.
Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$43,650
United States, 2025
Employment
2,970
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
0
10 related careers
Career overview
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.
- O*NET code
- 39-4012.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Not recorded
Typical tasks
- Clean the crematorium, including tables, floors, and equipment.
- Document divided remains to ensure parts are not misplaced.
- Embalm, dress, or otherwise prepare the deceased for viewing.
- Explain the cremation process to family or friends of the deceased.
- Offer counsel and comfort to bereaved families or friends.
- Pick up and handle human or pet remains in a respectful manner.
- Place corpses into crematory machines to reduce remains to bone fragments using flame, heat, or alkaline hydrolysis.
- Pulverize remaining bone fragments into smaller pieces, using specialized equipment, such as a cremulator or grinder.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$33,270
25th percentile
$37,020
75th percentile
$50,380
90th percentile
$62,460
Most important skills
No skill ratings are recorded for this occupation.
What skills do you need?
No skill ratings are recorded for this occupation in the current O*NET release.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $57,430
Compare with Crematory OperatorsSupplemental
National median $47,380
Compare with Crematory OperatorsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WI | $64,220 | — | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $59,510 | 30 | 2025 |
| MA | $56,050 | 30 | 2025 |
| WA | $53,580 | 70 | 2025 |
| CO | $52,060 | 70 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $50,330 | 40 | 2025 |
| DE | $50,320 | 30 | 2025 |
| AZ | $49,970 | 40 | 2025 |
| CA | $49,780 | 240 | 2025 |
| PA | $47,980 | 140 | 2025 |
| CT | $47,160 | 100 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $47,000 | — | 2025 |
| KS | $46,490 | 50 | 2025 |
| NV | $46,190 | 80 | 2025 |
| Riverside, CA | $45,020 | 40 | 2025 |
| WV | $43,840 | 30 | 2025 |
| OH | $43,530 | 60 | 2025 |
| IL | $41,740 | 190 | 2025 |
| NC | $41,350 | 150 | 2025 |
| MI | $40,970 | 130 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Crematory Operators to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.