Most medical examiners earn more than $200,000 a year. Depending on several factors, the average medical examiner salary can be anywhere between $90,000 and $300,000 a year. The average starting medical examiner salary is around $175,000 but it only gets higher with time.
The medical examiner job description usually involves determining the cause of death of somebody seeming in good health. Most medical examiners work with the police, but others can specialize in aviation, claims, or work for hospitals. So, with all this versatility shown by the profession, let’s see what exactly determines the medical examiner salary range.
Factors that Influence the Medical Examiner Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the yearly and hourly percentile medical examiner salary:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $27.80 | $56.02 | More than $90 | More than $90 | More than $90 |
| Annual Wage | $57,820 | $116,510 | More than $190 | More than $190 | More than $190 |
As with most jobs around the world, the medical examiner salary is greatly influenced by a number of factors. Some of these have to do with the geographical location of the workplace, and others with the profession’s industry. Others still have to do with the amount of experience gathered by each employee.
The three biggest factors which influence the American medical examiner salary are the experience, the industry, and the geographic area. Of course, there are other factors at work as well. The medical examiner education requirements, for example, are what make the salary so appealing.
Geographic Area
Below, you can find a series of tables featuring the areas and states where a medical examiner would have the best work experience. They contain data about the highest medical examiner salary and employment rates in the country.
The states with the highest medical examiner employment levels are the following:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| New York | 43,540 | 4.85 | 2.07 | $85.37 | $177,580 |
| California | 21,850 | 1.41 | 0.60 | $98.04 | $203,920 |
| Texas | 19,870 | 1.72 | 0.73 | $94.91 | $197,410 |
| Pennsylvania | 17,460 | 3.06 | 1.31 | $91.13 | $189,560 |
| Florida | 16,930 | 2.14 | 0.91 | $96.02 | $199,720 |
The states with the highest medical examiner salaries in the country are:
| State | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| New Hampshire | 2,030 | 3.20 | 1.37 | $117.65 | $244,710 |
| Alabama | 5,300 | 2.82 | 1.20 | $117.11 | $243,590 |
| Wyoming | 360 | 1.26 | 0.54 | $116.25 | $241,800 |
| Minnesota | 3,980 | 1.43 | 0.61 | $114.97 | $239,130 |
| Montana | 1,200 | 2.68 | 1.14 | $113.86 | $236,840 |
Next, you can find some more widely distributed information.
The metropolitan areas with the highest employment rates for individuals with the medical examiner salary are:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 32,420 | 5.00 | 2.14 | $82.19 | $170,960 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Arlington Heights, IL Metropolitan Division | 9,370 | 2.62 | 1.12 | $83.56 | $173,810 |
| Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division | 7,740 | 6.07 | 2.59 | $95.08 | $197,760 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 6,800 | 2.74 | 1.17 | $111.74 | $232,410 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 6,300 | 3.58 | 1.53 | $65.63 | $136,520 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 5,560 | 1.90 | 0.81 | $86.83 | $180,600 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 5,230 | 1.28 | 0.54 | $108.26 | $225,180 |
| Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, MD Metropolitan Division | 5,040 | 8.76 | 3.74 | $79.28 | $164,900 |
| Newark, NJ-PA Metropolitan Division | 4,960 | 4.30 | 1.84 | $82.97 | $172,580 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 4,790 | 1.98 | 0.85 | $98.89 | $205,700 |
The metropolitan with the highest wage range for the profession are:
| Metropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division | 120 | 0.93 | 0.40 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | Not made public | Not made public | Not made public | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Pueblo, CO | 100 | 1.80 | 0.77 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Longview, WA | 60 | 1.59 | 0.68 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Houma-Thibodaux, LA | 60 | 0.65 | 0.28 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Hot Springs, AR | Not made public | Not made public | Not made public | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Eau Claire, WI | 180 | 2.30 | 0.98 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Decatur, IL | Not made public | Not made public | Not made public | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Casper, WY | 60 | 1.46 | 0.62 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 110 | 2.07 | 0.89 | $134.93 | $280,650 |
The nonmetropolitan areas with the highest medical examiner employment rates are:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Central New York nonmetropolitan area | 770 | 6.15 | 2.63 | $92.56 | $192,530 |
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | 740 | 3.91 | 1.67 | $96.75 | $201,240 |
| Northern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 520 | 3.12 | 1.33 | $121.10 | $251,880 |
| Northern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 510 | 3.44 | 1.47 | $114.68 | $238,530 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 500 | 1.52 | 0.65 | $117.27 | $243,930 |
And finally, the nonmetropolitan areas with the highest salaries are as follows:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Southwest Mississippi nonmetropolitan area | Not made public | Not made public | Not made public | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 0.86 | 0.37 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Northwest Kansas nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.70 | 0.30 | More than $90 | More than $190 |
| Northwest Florida nonmetropolitan area | Not made public | Not made public | Not made public | $131.05 | $272,590 |
| Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 150 | 0.84 | 0.36 | $129.96 | $270,320 |
Experience
Just like with most medical jobs out there, the medical examiner salary only gets higher with time. Thanks to this, few medical examiners actually move on from the profession. Of course, other, more lucrative positions might roll along, but medical examiners have little reason to switch workplaces.
Without taking into account any other sources of income, such as bonuses or profit sharing, the average starting medical examiner salary is around $175,000 per year. Over the course of a career longer than twenty years, the average medical coder salary is likely to exceed $300,000.
Industry
The last major salary-influencing factor is the industry of the profession. As we mentioned earlier, the medical examiner salary is different for each specialty. So, depending on whether a medical examiner is working in insurance, with the police, or for a hospital, they have different pay grade.
The industries with the highest medical examiner employment levels are:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Offices of Physicians | 150,270 | 5.99 | $110.02 | $228,830 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 95,540 | 1.81 | $75.80 | $157,670 |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 32,970 | 1.66 | $99.05 | $206,010 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 13,040 | 0.44 | $47.81 | $99,450 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 10,080 | 1.37 | $107.72 | $224,060 |
Last, but certainly not least, the industries where you can find the highest medical examiner salaries are as follows:
| Industry | Employment | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 5,600 | 2.20 | $119.19 | $247,910 |
| Offices of Dentists | Not made public | Not made public | $112.37 | $233,730 |
| Offices of Physicians | 150,270 | 5.99 | $110.02 | $228,830 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 240 | 0.01 | $108.54 | $225,760 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 10,080 | 1.37 | $107.72 | $224,060 |
Work Hours
Medical examiners spend the majority of time in their laboratories. This often involves having to stand for extended periods of times. A usual medical examiner workday can last for as much as ten or twelve hours. It can go even longer. This is because of the high amount of work they have to do.
The long hours are often spent on the road to a death site, writing reports, testifying in court, and examining bodies before the evidence has time to erode. While it’s not very physically taxing, many medical examiners report that the continuous graphical violence does get to them.
Bonuses and Benefits Packages
According to payscale.com, the medical examiner salary is often joined by bonuses and profit sharing opportunities. Bonuses can go as high as $5,500 per year. Profit sharing, meanwhile, can add as much as $41,000 to the average wage.
Depending on their place of employment, medical examiners are very likely to get a 401(K) plan, as well as plenty of paid and sick leave days. About 75% benefit from medical insurance, 63% from dental, and 38% from vision. While 25% of all employees don’t get the above-mentioned benefits, most do get malpractice insurance.
Job Outlook
According to bls.com, the employment rate for medical examiners will go up 14% by 2024. That is much faster than the national average for all occupations of 8%.
Medical examiners owe this growth to the constant development of forensic technology. An increasing number of hospitals, insurance companies, and other job opportunities is also helping.
Despite coming in contact with graphic violence every day, medical examiners report low levels of job stress. The particularly high medical examiner salary is also owed to the high educational requirements, particularly the doctoral degree. For other similar salary guides, check out the pediatrician, paramedic, or psychiatrist.
All the tables in this article about the medical examiner salary are courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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