Business & Finance
Coroners
Also called: Autopsy Facilities Manager, Coroner, County Coroner, Death Investigator
US median pay
$80,730
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.8%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
32,700
436,400 employed
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Preparation 3/5 · Medium preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Observe, record, and preserve any objects or personal property related to deaths, including objects such as medication containers and suicide notes.
- Complete reports and forms required to finalize cases.
- Arrange for the next of kin to be notified of deaths.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Coordination3.8/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.6/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.5/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.4/5
- Time Management3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Instructing3.0/5
- Systems Analysis2.6/5
Knowledge
- English Language4.6/5
- Medicine and Dentistry4.5/5
- Customer and Personal Service4.4/5
- Law and Government4.2/5
- Biology3.9/5
- Administration and Management3.9/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 3 of 5 — Medium preparation. Usually vocational training, an associate's degree or an apprenticeship.
Typical entry education (BLS): Bachelor's degree.
Highest education of people in this job:
- Bachelor's degree35%
- Post-baccalaureate certificate15%
- Associate's degree15%
Who this job suits
Mostly Investigative
Ideas, research and solving problems
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Enterprising
Leading, persuading and starting things
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.