Career Explorer Personal care
Human edge, steady
Crematory operators
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.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 95% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it moderate), and US jobs are projected to change by +3.1% by 2035, slower than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and emotional intelligence.
AI struggles with much of this work. Hiring is expected to grow slower than average, or to shrink.
- Median pay (2025)
- $43,650
- Job growth to 2035
- +3.1%
- Openings a year
- 500
- People doing it (2025)
- 3,000
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Explain technical details of products or services
- Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance
- Counsel others about personal matters
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas
- Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing
- Move materials, equipment, or supplies
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Emergency medical techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 97, +5.8%
- PhlebotomistsHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +6.8%
- Lifeguards, ski patrol, and other recreational protective service workersHuman edge, growing, Index 96, +5.5%
- OrderliesHuman edge, growing, Index 98, +4.0%
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.