How to become a coroner
Official title: Coroner
Also called: Chief coroner
Coroners are experienced lawyers who investigate unexpected, suspicious or violent deaths to establish a cause. They may order autopsies, hold inquiries, or make recommendations.
Main tasks
- Investigate causes of deaths
- Collect evidence
- Talk to witnesses
- Record information for investigations
- Work with police and other specialists
- Explain findings to people
- Write reports and legal documents
- Supervise staff
How to become one
You need more than one qualification and experience to become a coroner. You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a Bachelor of Laws; to be admitted to the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand; to have held a practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society for at least 5 years; 5 years' experience as a practising solicitor or barrister; an Annual Practising Certificate; appointment by the Governor-General on the advice of the Attorney General after consultation with the Minister of Justice; to pass a police and background check. Registration body: New Zealand Law Society.
Ways in
- University: Law & Justice degrees, Offered by 5 universities in New Zealand
- Registration or licence: To have held a practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society for at least 5 years; an Annual Practising Certificate. Registration body: New Zealand Law Society (https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/).
Pay · Past change
- Median pay: $378,000 a year, a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $333,300 a year · Upper: $380,400 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 24 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
Related jobs
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Questions people ask
How do I become a coroner?
You need more than one qualification and experience to become a coroner. You need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Required: a Bachelor of Laws; to be admitted to the Roll of Barristers and Solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand; to have held a practising certificate from the New Zealand Law Society for at least 5 years; 5 years' experience as a practising solicitor or barrister; an Annual Practising Certificate; appointment by the Governor-General on the advice of the Attorney General after consultation with the Minister of Justice; to pass a police and background check. Registration body: New Zealand Law Society.
How much does a coroner earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $378,000 a year, before tax.
Has the number of people working as a coroner grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026