Coroners

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$75,670 Median Wage (2023)
34,400 Projected job openings (2023-2033)
5.4% Projected growth (2023-2033)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

  • Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
  • 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.
  • Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
  • Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Bachelor's Degree

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

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

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

Detailed Work Activities

  • Supervise employees.
  • Collect evidence for legal proceedings.
  • Prepare legal or investigatory documentation.
  • Coordinate logistics or other business operations.
  • Interview witnesses, suspects, or claimants.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

  • 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.
  • Locate and document information regarding the next of kin, including their relationship to the deceased and the status of notification attempts.
  • Collect and document any pertinent medical history information.
  • Inventory personal effects recovered from bodies, such as jewelry or wallets.
  • Direct activities of workers conducting autopsies, performing pathological and toxicological analyses, and preparing documents for permanent records.
  • Coordinate the release of personal effects to authorized persons and facilitate the disposition of unclaimed corpses and personal effects.
  • Witness and certify deaths that are the result of a judicial order.
  • Testify at inquests, hearings, and court trials.
  • Confer with officials of public health and law enforcement agencies to coordinate interdepartmental activities.
  • Collect wills, burial instructions, and other documentation needed for investigations and for handling of the remains.
  • Record the disposition of minor children, as well as details of arrangements made for their care.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.