New Jersey's Medical Examiner System

• New Jersey relies on a central state medical examiner, as well as a number of individual medical examiners at the county level who perform autopsies and investigate deaths. The governor appoints a state medical examiner to lead this system, while county commissioners select a medical examiner for each county.
  
  

State Medical Examiner Salary

• New Jersey's state medical examiner earns $200,000 per year as of 2008, according to a review of state payroll information by Gannett. The state's medical examiner not only performs autopsies, but also acts in a supervisory role to the different state offices within the system.
  
  

County-Level Salaries

• Salaries for county-level medical examiners in New Jersey are often set by the individual county. According to the Daily Record, the Morris County medical examiner earned $167,529 in 2010. The deputy medical examiner in this county earned $125,650 over the same time period.
  
  In Middlesex County, the assistant medical examiner was offered a salary between $160,000 and $170,000 as of May 2011, according to the National Association of Medical Examiners. Wage variations can likely be attributed to the level of training and experience required within each county. For example, Middlesex County requires even assistant examiners to have both a medical degree and several years of experience in forensic pathology. Other counties may offer more lenient requirements.
  
  

National Medical Examiner Salaries

• According to a 2010 article in the Illinois State Journal-Register, medical examiners earn an average salary ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 throughout the U.S. Medical examiners in larger cities and metro areas earn a salary at the higher end of this range, while those in smaller regions earn less on average.
  
  The Philadelphia Inquirer estimates that medical examiners earn only about two-thirds as much as a physician with similar training. This leads many medical examiners at the lower end of the pay scale to seek out supplemental work in hospitals and other medical facilities. It also makes it more difficult for states and cities to attract qualified candidates, who can earn more in private practice or at other types of jobs.