As of August 01, 2026, the average hourly pay of Chief Medical Examiner in the United States is $164. While Salary.com is seeing that Chief Medical Examiner salary in the US can go up to $196 or down to $145, but most earn between $154 and $181. Salary.com shows the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Chief Medical Examiner in the United States.
| Percentile | Hourly Pay Rate | Location | Last Updated |
| 10th Percentile Chief Medical Examiner Salary | $145 | US | August 01, 2026 |
| 25th Percentile Chief Medical Examiner Salary | $154 | US | August 01, 2026 |
| 50th Percentile Chief Medical Examiner Salary | $164 | US | August 01, 2026 |
| 75th Percentile Chief Medical Examiner Salary | $181 | US | August 01, 2026 |
| 90th Percentile Chief Medical Examiner Salary | $196 | US | August 01, 2026 |
A medical examiner is an official trained in pathology that investigates deaths that occur under unusual or suspicious circumstances, to perform post-mortem examinations, and in some jurisdictions to initiate inquests. In the US, there are two death investigation systems, the coroner system based on English law, and the medical examiner system, which evolved from the coroner system during the latter half of the 19th century. The type of system varies from municipality to municipality and from state to state, with over 2000 separate jurisdictions for investigating unnatural deaths. In 2002, 22...
Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia
See user submitted job responsibilities for Chief Medical Examiner.
| Job Title | Experience | EDUCATION | Salary Compared to This Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Title Pathology Assistant | Experience 2 - 4 | EducationBachelors | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Pathology Research Director | Experience | EducationAdvanced | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Pathology Research Manager | Experience | EducationAdvanced | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Pathology Research Scientist II | Experience 2 - 4 | EducationAdvanced | Salary Compared to This Job |
| Job Title Pathology Research Scientist III | Experience 4 - 7 | EducationAdvanced | Salary Compared to This Job |
Core compensation
Includes base and short-term incentives
Recently searched related titles: Medicolegal Death Investigator
Learn more about: Compensation Packages, Employee Flight Risk, Gender Pay Gap, Job Openings for This Role
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