Funeral Directors vs Crematory Operators
Median pay is about $15k higher for Funeral Directors. The usual entry education is associate's plus license for Funeral Directors and high school plus cert for Crematory Operators.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Funeral Directors | Crematory Operators |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $58,780, higher | $43,650 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $48,010, higher | $37,020 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $66,130, higher | $50,380 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +0.7% Stable | +3.1% Growing, higher |
| Openings a year | 700 | 500 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Associate's plus license | High school plus cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 3.2 / 5 | 1.8 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Very low | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 30th pct | 38th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Funeral Directors
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Only Crematory Operators
- Cremation equipment
- Documentation
- Safety
- Compassion
- Reliability
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.