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Coroner

💰 Earn $67K-$122K
📚 Associate Degree
⏱️ 12–24 Month Training
📈 3% Job Growth
  • Solve mysteries of life and death through scientific investigation and analysis.
  • Provide crucial insights into unexplained deaths, impacting justice and closure.
  • Uncover hidden stories of the deceased, piecing together their final moments.
Coroner
What Coroners DoDirect 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.
  • 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.
  • Inquire into the cause, manner, and circumstances of human deaths and establish the identities of deceased persons.
  • Complete death certificates, including the assignment of cause and manner of death.
  • Collect and document any pertinent medical history information.
  • Arrange for the next of kin to be notified of deaths.
Coroners Education, Salary, and Growth
Minimum EducationAssociate Degree
Career ProspectsExcellent (Increasing by 5% or more)
Training Time1 to 2 years
Job Openings33,300 Annually
Median Earnings
$92,350 in California
$78,420 Nationally

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Is This Career Right For You?
YOU Like
  • Thinking and problem solving
  • Using data or completing tasks
  • Working with my hands
you value
  • Accomplishing things
  • Having support
  • Having freedom
you are skilled in
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Speaking
  • Mathematics
  • Reading Comprehension
Go Deeper: Coroners Explained
CoronerExplore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.
How Do You Train for This Career?

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Vocational SchoolA vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.
🎓 Skills-Focused
⏱️ Finish in 6 months - 2 years
Workforce Development ProgramA workforce development program typically enhances participants' opportunities to succeed in the workforce through employment skill-building, career counseling, connections to employers, and pathways to high-demand and high-wage jobs.
🎓 Skills-Focused
⏱️ Finish in 6 months - 2 years
ApprenticeshipAn apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.
🎓 Paid Work
⏱️ Finish in 2-5 years
Associate's DegreeAn associate's degree typically provides graduates with foundational knowledge and skills for entry-level jobs in the graduate's industry, or serves as a stepping stone towards further education.
🎓 College
⏱️ Finish in 2-3 years
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What Are Similar Careers?

Updated April 2026. Data sourced from O*NET and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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