Adjusters: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Adjusters inspect property damage or personal injury claims to determine how much the insurance company should pay for the loss. They might inspect a home, a business, or an automobile.
Adjusters interview the claimant and witnesses, inspect the property, and do additional research, such as look at police reports. They may consult with other workers, such as accountants, architects, construction workers, engineers, lawyers, and physicians, who can offer a more expert evaluation of a claim.
Adjusters gather informationincluding photographs and statements, either written or recorded on audio or videoand put together a report for claims examiners to evaluate. When the examiner approves the claim, the adjuster negotiates with the policyholder and settles the claim.
If the claimant contests the outcome of the claim or the settlement, adjusters work with attorneys and expert witnesses to defend the insurers position.
- Education Required
- A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for a person to work as an entry-level claims adjuster or examiner. However, employers sometimes prefer to hire applicants who have a bachelors degree or some insurance-related work experience.
- Training Required
- At the beginning of their careers, claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators work on small claims under the supervision of an experienced worker. As they learn more about claims investigation and settlement, they are assigned larger, more complex claims.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -1% (Little or no change)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Licenses/Certifications
- Licensing requirements for claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators vary by state. Some states have few requirements; others require either completing prelicensing education or receiving a satisfactory score on a licensing exam (or both).
- Median pay: How much do Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators make?
- $63,670 Annual Salary
- $30.61 per hour
Careers for Claims Adjusters, Appraisers, Examiners, and Investigators
- Appraisers
- Auto damage appraisers
- Auto damage insurance appraisers
- Automobile damage appraisers
- Claims analysts
- Claims examiners
- Claims representatives
- Examiners
- Fire claims adjusters
- Health claims examiners
- Health insurance adjusters
- Independent adjusters
- Independent insurance adjusters
- Insurance adjusters
- Insurance investigators
- Investigators, insurance
- Medical claims analysts
- Medical claims examiners
- Property and casualty insurance claims examiners
- Property damage claims adjusters
- Public adjusters
- Reinsurance claims analysts
- Vehicle damage appraisers
- Workers compensation claims adjusters
- Workers compensation claims examiners