Also called: Medical Examiner
Performs autopsies to figure out how and why someone died, often for police and courts.
Examines bodies from car crashes, overdoses, or suspicious deaths to determine cause and manner of death. Visits the occasional death scene, writes detailed reports, and testifies in court as an expert witness.
BLS top-codes many physician wages; figures are estimates for attending physicians after residency (residents earn about $65k-$80k while training). Usually government-employed.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Professional degree (MD, JD, DVM…), about 13 years after high school. Bachelor's, medical school, pathology residency, then a 1-year forensic fellowship.
Ways in: 4-year college, Professional school. Training cost: Over $150k.
Majors to look at: Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Neuroscience, Pre-Medicine, Forensic Science.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Severe national shortage; only around 500-700 practice full time.
Low risk for 10 years. AI may help with post-mortem CT scans and reports; autopsies, scene judgment and court testimony need a human expert.
Classes: AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Forensic science elective, Speech & debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 29-1222.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.