Death Investigator / Coroner: Pay & Requirements

Overview

Sourced

Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not classified elsewhere.

O*NET definition of Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041) · Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed.

157,430

in government (SOC 13-1041)

38%

of this occupation works for government

$80,810

median pay in government

Local

levels of government

Occupation figures cover every job classified under SOC 13-1041, including DMV Clerk / Driver License Examiner, Environmental Compliance Inspector, OSHA / Workplace Safety Inspector.

How people usually get in Editorial

science or medical background + agency hiring; ABMDI certification after hire (the coroner is often elected). Requirements vary by employer; each employer page will list its exact rules.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership; U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database; GovJobs Wiki (editorial). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Requirements

Sourced

Typical entry requirements (BLS, SOC 13-1041)

Education needed to enter: Bachelor's degree
Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

How to get hired

Sourced

Compliance officers typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. They often receive training on the job. Employers may prefer or require candidates to have experience related to the position.

From the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile “Compliance Officers”, published August 27, 2026 · Read the full profile. National guidance; each employer runs its own hiring process.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–35 edition (XML compilation). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Academy and training

Sourced

Training to become competent (BLS)

SOC 13-1041: Moderate-term on-the-job training

Preparation level (O*NET)

Job zone: Considerable Preparation Needed

Academy length, curriculum and paid-training policies are set by each employer and state; they are part of the employer collection stage.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 — education and training assignments by detailed occupation (Tables 5.3, 5.4). Data captured September 30, 2026.

Promotion ladder

Editorial

Civil-service class series: civil-service class series I → II → III → senior → supervisor → manager, each with a salary range. Typical structure for a civil-service class series; titles, steps and timing differ by employer.

Trainee / Assistant
Level I
Level II (journey)
Level III / Senior
Lead / Principal
Supervisor
Manager
Director / Division Chief

Source: GovJobs Wiki (editorial).

Pay

Sourced

Federal

$105,500

State

$68,300

Local

$69,520

All government

$80,810

Private sector

$80,700

Median annual wage by employer type, national, May 2025. Federal includes the U.S. Postal Service; state and local include public schools and hospitals.

Employer type	Workers	10th pct.	25th	Median	75th	90th
Federal	68,250	$61,110	$78,330	$105,500	$122,370	$137,470
State	51,140	$45,090	$54,420	$68,300	$86,390	$107,020
Local	38,040	$46,210	$56,740	$69,520	$89,900	$112,700
All government	157,430	$48,960	$61,780	$80,810	$109,180	$128,790
Private sector	259,640	$47,800	$60,950	$80,700	$108,910	$137,590

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — national estimates by ownership. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Day-to-day work

Sourced

Warn violators of infractions or penalties.4.4
Evaluate applications, records, or documents to gather information about eligibility or liability issues.4.4
Advise licensees or other individuals or groups concerning licensing, permit, or passport regulations.4.4
Prepare reports of activities, evaluations, recommendations, or decisions.4.3
Report law or regulation violations to appropriate boards or agencies.4.2
Confer with or interview officials, technical or professional specialists, or applicants to obtain information or to clarify facts relevant to licensing decisions.4.1

The 6 most important of 6 core tasks for Compliance Officers, ranked by importance (1–5) in the O*NET survey of November 2020.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), O*NET 31.0 Database. Data captured September 30, 2026.

13Derived

Exams and free practice tests

Sourced

Free practice tests

ABMDI Board Certification (Fellow) — F-ABMDI
Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep
American Board of Medicolegal Death Investigators Registry Certification (Diplomate)
Entrance or licensing exam · free on Open Exam Prep

Source: Open Exam Prep, Open Exam Prep free practice tests. Data captured October 1, 2026. Each link was opened and its exam title checked on the date shown.

By state

Sourced

Median annual wage for Compliance Officers (SOC 13-1041) in each state, all employers (BLS state estimates do not separate government from private). Highest first.

State	Workers	10th pct.	Median	90th pct.
District of Columbia	4,380	$69,140	$111,030	$156,750
Massachusetts	13,190	$63,340	$102,060	$161,920
New Jersey	13,310	$58,860	$100,000	$158,540
California	49,880	$57,530	$96,980	$158,280
Connecticut	3,610	$60,050	$91,810	$137,690
Delaware	2,150	$51,930	$91,050	$137,540
Vermont	1,960	$53,570	$90,420	$118,270
New York	23,500	$53,330	$90,080	$142,370
Washington	11,130	$60,650	$88,790	$142,350
Rhode Island	970	$60,000	$87,620	$135,260
Minnesota	6,140	$55,830	$85,920	$134,040
Pennsylvania	19,810	$49,910	$85,580	$130,990
Maryland	10,100	$56,310	$84,720	$132,620
Maine	1,790	$50,480	$83,740	$118,060
Oregon	5,360	$55,200	$82,990	$120,950
New Hampshire	1,730	$54,980	$82,800	$123,020
Hawaii	1,270	$53,270	$82,590	$117,350
Colorado	7,740	$57,990	$82,450	$133,520
Illinois	10,650	$50,040	$80,550	$132,290
Virginia	15,190	$48,640	$80,380	$133,620
Wyoming	580	$51,110	$79,890	$132,360
North Dakota	990	$56,260	$79,440	$116,370
Wisconsin	5,710	$56,010	$78,800	$125,160
Indiana	5,120	$47,650	$78,770	$134,820
North Carolina	11,320	$45,690	$78,500	$131,180
Nevada	4,400	$43,120	$78,290	$124,280
Michigan	9,720	$46,290	$77,390	$120,560
Alaska	920	$47,290	$76,430	$126,920
Iowa	3,660	$49,940	$75,620	$114,460
South Carolina	4,760	$44,990	$75,460	$133,820
Idaho	1,660	$42,080	$75,450	$128,750
Texas	42,900	$45,170	$75,370	$126,920
Ohio	11,240	$47,230	$75,030	$124,230
Arizona	12,430	$47,630	$74,920	$132,620
Florida	29,680	$44,130	$74,920	$127,420
Nebraska	3,470	$48,060	$73,920	$115,920
Alabama	3,770	$41,620	$72,990	$126,870
South Dakota	1,130	$57,140	$72,630	$115,920
Louisiana	3,970	$39,850	$70,290	$119,990
Georgia	14,390	$42,500	$70,200	$131,210
Kansas	3,560	$42,620	$69,740	$121,370
Kentucky	4,360	$43,120	$69,240	$109,300
New Mexico	2,400	$44,550	$67,990	$120,760
Mississippi	1,720	$37,040	$67,450	$109,300
Utah	3,760	$41,230	$67,370	$120,520
Missouri	7,000	$44,060	$67,270	$118,850
Montana	1,480	$50,350	$66,660	$109,300
Arkansas	3,120	$43,160	$64,680	$132,760
West Virginia	1,720	$44,420	$64,270	$115,210
Tennessee	7,990	$41,460	$63,960	$117,250
Oklahoma	4,230	$42,340	$63,000	$105,360

51 states with published estimates.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 — state estimates. Data captured September 30, 2026.

Not yet collected

These dimensions are part of every job page. We publish them only once they are sourced from official documents such as job postings, pay plans, union contracts and state standards.

05 Probation
Probation length and what ends it
Not yet collected
08 Schedule
Shift patterns (24/48, 4/10, 5/8, split), seniority bidding, holidays and mandatory overtime
Not yet collected
09 Benefits and pension
Pension plan and formula, retirement age and years, DROP, retiree health, Social Security coverage, 457(b) and PSLF eligibility
Not yet collected
10 Union contracts
Bargaining unit, union and the current contract, with its source and effective dates
Not yet collected
11 Transfers and lateral entry
Lateral entry policy, certification reciprocity, lateral bonuses and moves between agencies
Not yet collected
15 Employer directory
Every public employer that hires this job, with its own pay and rules
Not yet collected

Death Investigator / Coroner

Overview

Requirements

How to get hired

Academy and training

Promotion ladder

Pay

Day-to-day work

Related jobs

Exams and free practice tests

Free practice tests

By state

Not yet collected