Coroners

Career Overview

Direct activities such as autopsies, pathological and toxicological analyses, and inquests relating to the investigation of deaths occurring within a legal jurisdiction to determine cause of death or to fix responsibility for accidental, violent, or unexplained deaths.

Also Known As

• Autopsy Facilities Manager
• Coroner
• MDI (Medicolegal Death Investigator)
• Medical Examiner

Alternate Job Titles

• Autopsy Facilities Manager
• Certified Medical Examiner
• Coroner
• Coroner Investigator
• County Coroner
• Death Investigator
• Examiner
• Forensic Medical Examiner
• Forensic Pathologist
• MDI (Medicolegal Death Investigator)
• Medical Examiner
• Medical Examiner Investigator (MEI)
• Medical Investigator
• Medical Legal Death Investigator
• Medicolegal Investigator

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Complete death certificates, including the assignment of cause and manner of death.
• Perform medicolegal examinations and autopsies, conducting preliminary examinations of the body to identify victims, locate signs of trauma, and identify factors that would indicate time of death.
• Interview persons present at death scenes to obtain information useful in determining the manner of death.
• Observe and record the positions and conditions of bodies and related evidence.
• Provide information concerning the circumstances of death to relatives of the deceased.
• Remove or supervise removal of bodies from death scenes, using the proper equipment and supplies, and arrange for transportation to morgues.
• Inquire into the cause, manner, and circumstances of human deaths and establish the identities of deceased persons.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Complete or review death certificates, including the assignment of cause and manner of death.
• Observe and record the positions and conditions of bodies and related evidence at the scene, through documentation or photographs.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• English Language
• Medicine and Dentistry
• Customer and Personal Service
• Law and Government
• Administration and Management
• Biology
• Education and Training
• Administrative
• Public Safety and Security
• Computers and Electronics

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Speaking
2. Critical Thinking
3. Reading Comprehension
4. Active Listening
5. Coordination
6. Writing
7. Social Perceptiveness

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Written Expression
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Near Vision
• Problem Sensitivity
• Information Ordering
• Flexibility of Closure

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Integrity
• Dependability
• Stress Tolerance
• Cautiousness

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Independence
• Achievement
• Support
• Working Conditions
• Recognition

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

Education Details: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Experience Required: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Git
• Google Android
• Linux
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS
• Microsoft Word
• Structured query language SQL
• Transact-SQL

Tools & Equipment

• 35 millimeter cameras
• Autopsy bone saws
• Autopsy evidence collection kits
• Autopsy fluid collection vacuum aspirators
• Autopsy knives
• Autopsy saws
• Autopsy scissors
• Binocular light compound microscopes
• Bone cutters
• Bone dust collectors
• Cadaver lifts
• Desktop computers
• Dictation equipment
• Digital autopsy scales
• Digital cameras

Work Environment

• Telephone Conversations
• E-Mail
• Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Contact With Others

Salary & Job Market

Wages reported for the broader Compliance Officers occupational group (BLS 2024), which includes Coroners.

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$46,230
Median	$78,420
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$130,030

Workers Employed Nationally: 397,770

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.