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What is a forensic medical examiner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a forensic medical examiner. For example, did you know that they make an average of $37.78 an hour? That's $78,578 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 28% and produce 136,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreForensic Medical ExaminerUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $78,578

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.9

Growth rate 28%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.76%

Asian 6.59%

Black or African American 8.67%

Hispanic or Latino 11.43%

Unknown 4.31%

White 68.24%

Gender

female 51.52%

male 48.48%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
7.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a forensic medical examiner

  1. Explore forensic medical examiner education requirements

    Most common forensic medical examiner degrees

    Bachelor's

    51.9 %

    Doctorate

    22.2 %

    Associate

    18.5 %
  2. Complete relevant forensic medical examiner training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New forensic medical examiners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a forensic medical examiner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real forensic medical examiner resumes.
  3. Research forensic medical examiner duties and responsibilities

    • Supervise and analyze medical necessity review of manage care appeals.
    • Blood collection by venipuncture and capillary technique ensure all specimens are collect accurately, on time and according to establish procedures.
    • Blood collection by venipuncture and capillary technique ensure all specimens are collect accurately, on time and according to establish procedures.
  4. Apply for forensic medical examiner jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a forensic medical examiner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first forensic medical examiner job

Zippi

Are you a forensic medical examiner?

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Average forensic medical examiner salary

The average forensic medical examiner salary in the United States is $78,578 per year or $38 per hour. Forensic medical examiner salaries range between $42,000 and $144,000 per year.

Average forensic medical examiner salary
$78,578 Yearly
$37.78 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do forensic medical examiners rate their job?

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2 stars

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Forensic medical examiner reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024
Pros

you get to help peoples familys get closure

Cons

you have to cut open carcasses


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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