Coroners

What the job really 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.

At a glance

• Sector: Business & Financial
• O*NET-SOC code: 13-1041
• O*NET job zone: 3 — medium preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• 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.

Tools and technology

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, UNIX, Zoom

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Police Identification and Records Officers
• Detectives and Criminal Investigators
• Medical Records Specialists
• Forensic Science Technicians
• Physicians, Pathologists
• Private Detectives and Investigators
• Medical Assistants
• Compliance Officers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 3 (medium preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Coroners — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.