Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators held about 328,500 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators were as follows:
| Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers | 30% |
| Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities | 27 |
| Government | 18 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 9 |
| Administrative and support services | 3 |
Insurance appraisers, auto damage held about 17,400 jobs in 2018. The largest employers of insurance appraisers, auto damage were as follows:
| Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities | 26% |
| Self-employed workers | 3 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 1 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 1 |
Claims adjusters and examiners spend time in offices reviewing documents and conducting research. They work outside when examining damaged property. Appraisers and investigators work outside more often, inspecting damaged buildings and automobiles and conducting surveillance. Auto damage appraisers spend much of their time at automotive body shops estimating vehicle damage costs.
Workers who inspect damaged buildings must be wary of potential hazards, such as collapsed roofs and floors, as well as weakened structures.
Work Schedules
Most claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators work full time. However, their work schedules vary.
Adjusters often arrange their work schedules to accommodate evening and weekend appointments with clients. This requirement sometimes results in adjusters working irregular schedules, especially when they have a lot of claims to review.
Insurance investigators often work irregular schedules because of the need to conduct surveillance and contact people who are not available during normal business hours. Early morning, evening, and weekend work is common.
In contrast, auto damage appraisers typically work regular hours and rarely work on weekends.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for a person to work as an entry-level claims adjuster, examiner, or investigator, although some positions may require a bachelor’s degree or insurance-related work experience. Auto damage appraisers typically have either a postsecondary nondegree award or previous work experience in identifying and estimating the cost of automotive repair.
Education
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 bachelor’s degree or some insurance-related work experience.
For investigator jobs, a high school diploma or equivalent is the typical education requirement. Some insurance companies prefer to hire people trained as law enforcement officers or private investigators, because these workers have good interviewing and interrogation skills.
Auto damage appraisers typically have either a postsecondary nondegree award or experience working in an auto repair shop, identifying and estimating the cost of automotive repair. Many vocational schools and some community colleges offer programs in auto body repair and teach students how to estimate the cost of repairing damaged vehicles.
Training
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.
Auto damage appraisers typically get on-the-job training, which may last several months. This training usually involves working under the supervision of a more experienced appraiser while estimating damage costs, until the employer decides that the trainee is ready to do estimates on his or her own.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
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).
In some states, claims adjusters employed by insurance companies do not have to become licensed themselves because they can work under the company license.
Public adjusters may need to meet separate or additional requirements.
Some states that require licensing also require a certain number of continuing education credits per year to renew the license. Federal and state laws and court decisions affect how claims must be handled and what insurance policies can and must cover. Examiners working on life and health claims must stay up to date on new medical procedures and the latest prescription drugs. Examiners working on auto claims must be familiar with new car models and the most recent repair techniques. In order to fulfill their continuing education requirements, workers can attend classes or workshops, write articles for claims publications, or give lectures and presentations.
Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators typically have an interest in the Persuading and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Persuading or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a claims adjuster, appraiser, examiner, and investigator, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators should also possess the following specific qualities:
Analytical skills. Adjusters and examiners must evaluate whether the insurance company is obligated to pay a claim and determine the amount to pay. Adjusters must carefully consider various pieces of information to reach a decision.
Communication skills. Claims adjusters and investigators must get information from a wide range of people, including claimants, witnesses, and medical experts. They must know the right questions to ask in order to gather the information they need.
Interpersonal skills. Adjusters, examiners, and investigators often meet with claimants and others who may be upset by the situation that requires a claim or by the settlement the company is offering. These workers must be understanding yet firm with their company’s policies.
Math skills. Appraisers must be able to calculate property damage.
The median annual wage for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators was $66,790 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,100, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $100,400.
The median annual wage for insurance appraisers, auto damage was $63,270 in May 2019. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,430, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $93,720.
In May 2019, the median annual wages for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Government | $73,470 |
| Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers | 66,690 |
| Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities | 64,890 |
| Administrative and support services | 60,450 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 58,560 |
In May 2019, the median annual wages for insurance appraisers, auto damage in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Management of companies and enterprises | $63,690 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 61,440 |
| Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities | 61,060 |
Most claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators work full time. However, their work schedules vary.
Adjusters often arrange their work schedules to accommodate evening and weekend appointments with clients. This requirement sometimes results in adjusters working irregular schedules, especially when they have a lot of claims to review.
Insurance investigators often work irregular schedules because of the need to conduct surveillance and contact people who are not available during normal business hours. Early morning, evening, and weekend work is common.
In contrast, auto damage appraisers typically work regular hours and rarely work on weekends.
Overall employment of claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators is projected to decline 4 percent from 2018 to 2028.
Employment of claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators is projected to decline 4 percent from 2018 to 2028. Technology is expected to automate some of the tasks currently performed by adjusters. For instance, computer software can evaluate photographs of damaged property and calculate an estimated claim amount. In addition, data collection and processing speed will increase, which will improve efficiency and allow more work to be done with fewer adjusters.
Demand for these workers should stem primarily from the growth of the health insurance industry. Rising medical costs may result in a greater need for claims examiners to carefully review a growing number of medical claims. An increase in the number of claims being made by a growing elderly population also should spur demand for health insurance claims adjusters and examiners.
The number of natural disasters, such as floods and fires, influences demand for claims adjusters in property and casualty insurance. Future increases in the number of natural disasters could result in strong employment growth for claims adjusters in the field.
Employment of auto damage appraisers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. An increasing number of vehicle-miles traveled will likely be accompanied by more automobile accidents, and this is expected to increase the demand for auto damage appraisers. However, automation technology is also affecting these workers, allowing more appraisals to be done with fewer employees.
Job Prospects
Job opportunities for claims adjusters and examiners should be best in firms providing services related to insurance, such as insurance claims adjusting companies. In addition, prospects for claims adjusters in property and casualty insurance will likely be best in areas susceptible to natural disasters. These areas include the Gulf Coast, which can have a large number of hurricanes, and the West Coast, which is vulnerable to wildfires.
As technology continues to affect this work, those who are familiar and comfortable with computers and information technology should also have better prospects.
For more information about insurance, visit
International Claim Association
National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters