Crematory Operator job description
23 verified openings in Funeral Home & Crematory Staff
High heat and protective clothing come with this job, the Handbook notes, because the crematory operator runs the equipment that reduces human or animal remains to bone fragments under state and local rules. O*NET adds that the work may use traditional flame-based cremation, calcination, or alkaline hydrolysis. BLS counted 2,970 crematory operators in May 2025, with a median of $43,650, or $20.98 an hour. Ten percent earned less than $33,270, and ten percent more than $62,460. The National Funeral Directors Association projected the 2025 cremation rate at 63.4 percent, against 31.6 percent for burial.
Core Duties and Responsibilities
O*NET has no core task list for crematory operators, only supplemental tasks, so this list carries no importance ratings. Operators pick up and handle human or pet remains with respect, and they document divided remains so no part is misplaced. They clean the crematorium, including tables, floors, and equipment, and O*NET's summary adds general maintenance on the crematory equipment and preparing the body for cremation. Some embalm, dress, or otherwise prepare the deceased for a viewing. Families are part of it too: operators explain the cremation process to relatives and friends, and offer counsel and comfort.
Common Skills and Technologies
O*NET publishes no skill ratings for this occupation. The work is done with the cremation equipment itself, which the operator also maintains, with the protective clothing the Handbook says the heat requires, and with the records that keep every set of remains identified. Employer postings O*NET reviews name Microsoft Excel and Word, plus the broader Office suite.
Education, Training, and Career Path
O*NET puts crematory operators in Job Zone Two, where a high school diploma is the usual starting point. The Handbook says many states require certification for anyone who performs cremations, and two national programs supply it. The Cremation Association of North America runs its Crematory Operations Certification Program, in person or online, and many states accept it for up to 8 hours of continuing education. The National Funeral Directors Association's cremation program confers the Certified Crematory Operator designation. Colorado's licensing law will cover cremationists when it takes full effect January 1, 2027.
Sources: O*NET 30.0, 39-4012.00 Crematory Operators, https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/39-4012.00. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, 39-4012, https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Funeral Service Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/personal-care-and-service/funeral-service-occupations.htm. National Funeral Directors Association, https://nfda.org/news/statistics. Cremation Association of North America, https://www.cremationassociation.org/COCP.