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The differences between medical examiners and physicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a medical examiner, becoming a physician takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a physician has an average salary of $238,887, which is higher than the $156,092 average annual salary of a medical examiner.
The top three skills for a medical examiner include EKG, medical history and vital signs. The most important skills for a physician are patients, surgery, and patient care.
| Medical Examiner | Physician | |
| Yearly salary | $156,092 | $238,887 |
| Hourly rate | $75.04 | $114.85 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 47,428 | 46,489 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 4 |
A medical examiner works with deceased bodies to determine the cause and time of death. They analyze available information, testify in court, act as an expert witness in various criminal and civil cases, and provide forensic evidence. They are generally only expected to investigate deaths that occur under suspicious circumstances, as not all deaths will require an autopsy.
Physicians' general responsibility is to check, diagnose, and treat a patient's condition to improve their overall wellness. A physician could be General Practitioners or Specialist Physicians, wherein General Practitioners are physicians who provide regular checkups for patients depending on their needs and refer them to a Specialist Physicians who are more skilled in a particular field of expertise for a thorough diagnosis. Physicians monitor a patient's medical history and ensure follow-up checkups to observe if the condition of a patient is changing over time. A physician may refer a patient to other health professionals for further examination as needed.
Medical examiners and physicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Examiner | Physician | |
| Average salary | $156,092 | $238,887 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $308,000 | Between $128,000 And $442,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | Cleveland, TN |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Wisconsin |
| Best paying company | Bexar County | Yuma Regional Medical Center |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a medical examiner and a physician in terms of educational background:
| Medical Examiner | Physician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 35% | Bachelor's Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Nursing | Medicine |
| Most common college | - | Duke University |
Here are the differences between medical examiners' and physicians' demographics:
| Medical Examiner | Physician | |
| Average age | 37 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 33.0% Female, 67.0% | Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 9.3% White, 54.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 5.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 19.1% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 13% |